Ex-White House aide fined $172,539 over Trump speech bets
What's new: The CFTC also imposed a $65,000 civil penalty, a three-year trading ban and ordered him to give up his profits.
US regulators ordered former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to pay $172,539 after finding he used advance access to President Donald Trump’s speeches to trade prediction-market contracts on Kalshi. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Perez bought and sold presidential “mention market” contracts between December 2025 and February 2026 while working at the White House. Those event contracts pay based on whether a president uses certain words or phrases in a speech. Under the settlement, Perez must disgorge $107,539.02 in profits, pay a $65,000 civil penalty, stop violating commodities laws and accept a three-year trading ban. The agency said he is no longer working for the federal government.