Former White House teleprompter operator fined for insider trading on Trump speech bets
Consensus Summary
A former White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, was fined $US172,000 and ordered to repay profits of around $US107,500 after using advance access to Donald Trump’s speeches to place illegal bets on the Kalshi prediction-market platform between December 2025 and February 2026. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) also imposed a three-year trading ban on Perez, citing his breach of trust by misappropriating nonpublic information. Both ABC and the Guardian report that Perez was placed on unpaid leave and later left his position, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the incident a 'disgrace' in July 2026. While both sources agree on the core facts, discrepancies exist in the exact profit amounts repaid and Perez’s salary, with ABC detailing $US100,000 in profits and a $US175,000 salary, while the Guardian specifies $107,539.02 and omits the salary. The Guardian also highlights additional cases of insider trading on prediction markets, including a $400,000 bet by a US soldier and fines against political candidates in April 2026.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Gabriel Perez was fined $US172,000 for insider trading using advance access to Donald Trump’s speeches
- Perez made profits of $US107,500 ($150,080 or $107,539.02) from betting on Trump’s speeches between December 2025 and February 2026
- Perez was ordered to pay a $US65,000 fine as part of the settlement
- Perez was given a three-year trading ban
- Perez used his position to trade on Kalshi’s prediction-market platform
- Perez was no longer working at the White House by July 2026
- The White House press secretary in July 2026 described the incident as 'unfortunate' and 'a disgrace'
- Perez was placed on unpaid leave during the investigation
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Perez was ordered to repay $US100,000 in profits and pay a $US65,000 fine, with the penalty reduced due to 'exemplary cooperation'
- The White House official confirmed Perez was no longer in his position in July but did not specify if he was fired or resigned
- Perez made bets on words and phrases appearing in Trump’s speeches between December 2025 and February 2026
- The CFTC stated Perez misappropriated information in breach of his 'duty of trust and confidence'
- The incident was reported on July 16, 2026, by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
- Perez’s annual salary was $US175,000
- Perez’s profits were specifically stated as $107,539.02, with the $65,000 penalty described as a 'substantial discount' due to cooperation
- The Guardian mentioned a separate case involving a $400,000 bet by US soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke on Polymarket in April 2026
- Kalshi fined three political candidates in April 2026 for betting on their own elections
- Trump has defended prediction markets and argued against state-level regulation, citing business ties to the industry
- The CFTC thanked Kalshi for assistance in the investigation
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- ABC states Perez was ordered to repay $US100,000 in profits, while the Guardian specifies $107,539.02 as the disgorged amount
- ABC mentions Perez’s salary as $US175,000, but the Guardian does not include this detail
- ABC references a $US172,000 ($240,000) fine, while the Guardian only states $US172,000 without a converted amount
- The Guardian notes Perez’s departure was 'about a month' after the White House confirmed his exit, but ABC does not specify this timeframe
Source Articles
Former White House teleprompter operator fined over insider trading
Former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez has been ordered to pay more than $US172,000 for using advance access to US President Donald Trump's speeches to make illegal trades on a prediction-market platform.
Ex-White House teleprompter operator fined $172,000 for Trump speech bets
Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Gabriel Perez wagered on Kalshi about words president used in speeches A White House teleprompter operator who left his post amid accusations that he used inside knowledge to make bets on Donald Trump ’s speeches on an online prediction market has been fined $172,000, according to federal regulators. Gabriel Perez exploited “material, nonpublic information” that he gathered through his work for the president in order to place wagers on the Kalshi platfor
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