Gabriel Perez, the teleprompter operator who placed bets on President Trump's speeches using non-public information, is no longer employed by the federal government, a White House official confirmed Tuesday.
The revelation comes after the prediction market platform Kalshi flagged suspicious trades tied to Perez to federal regulators earlier this month. Perez is reportedly in settlement talks with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over allegations that he leveraged his insider access to the president's remarks to profit on wagers.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced last week that Perez had been placed on administrative leave following the reports. “The individual cited in that report is complying with the CFTC and has been placed on administrative leave,” she said.
Leavitt added that Trump was briefed on the matter just hours before a primetime address. “He believes it is deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace,” she noted.
Perez had been a fixture in Trump’s orbit since 2016, operating the teleprompter for countless rallies and official addresses. His departure marks an abrupt end to a career that spanned the president’s political rise.
The scandal has reignited debate over ethical safeguards within the White House. Critics argue that the administration’s bypassing of asylum interviews and other fast-track policies reflect a broader pattern of cutting corners. Meanwhile, Trump’s allies have sought to downplay the incident, framing it as an isolated breach.
Kalshi, which operates as a federally regulated exchange for event contracts, reported the suspicious activity to the CFTC as part of its compliance obligations. The platform has not commented on the specifics of the case.
The CFTC investigation centers on whether Perez used material, non-public information about the timing and content of Trump’s speeches to place bets that yielded profits. If proven, the conduct could violate federal commodities laws.
This episode adds to a growing list of ethics controversies surrounding the Trump administration, including threats to cut funding over transgender student policies and testing a dormant court for terror suspect deportations.
Perez’s attorney declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations with the CFTC. The White House has not indicated whether any other staffers are under investigation for similar conduct.
