Ex-White House teleprompter operator fined $172,539 and banned

Gabriel Perez, a former White House teleprompter operator, settled with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over allegations that he used advance access to President Donald Trump’s speeches to place bets on Kalshi’s prediction markets, earning more than $100,000 in profits. Under the agreement, he must repay about $107,000 in profits, pay a $65,000 civil penalty, and is suspended from Kalshi access for three years. The CFTC described Perez’s actions as misappropriating information obtained through his government role, violating his duty of trust and confidence. White House officials confirmed Perez was no longer in his position, and the case has been characterized by regulators as a notable insider-trading enforcement action tied to presidential speeches. Reports of the settlement have been echoed by multiple outlets, noting the three-year trading ban and the cooperation cited by regulators. The investigation and settlement are portrayed as part of ongoing scrutiny of the intersection between government access and private financial markets.