A former White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is currently under scrutiny for allegedly utilizing non-public information to wager on the specific vocabulary used by President Donald Trump during significant addresses, such as the State of the Union. Investigators claim Perez earned nearly $100,000 through these bets.
The wagers were placed on Kalshi, a prediction market platform. The company identified irregular betting patterns in March regarding “mention markets,” where participants speculate on whether certain terms will be spoken. Kalshi analysts traced the activity to a federal employee managing White House teleprompters and subsequently froze over $90,000 in the account to prevent the funds from being withdrawn.
Robert DeNault, the head of enforcement at Kalshi, confirmed the company reported the suspicious activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and provided relevant evidence. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump has been briefed on the situation. Perez has been placed on unpaid leave and is no longer employed at the White House.
While federal prosecutors in Manhattan opted not to pursue criminal charges, sources indicate that Perez is cooperating with the CFTC. The regulatory agency has declined to officially confirm the existence of an investigation.
