CFTC Fines Ex-White House Aide $172,000 for Trump Speech Trading
Synopsis
A former White House teleprompter operator is fined $172,539 by the CFTC for trading Kalshi contracts using nonpublic Trump speech details.
Key Highlights
- The CFTC imposed a $172,539 fine on Gabriel Perez for misappropriating funds while employed by the federal government as a White House teleprompter operator, in addition to engaging in illegal trading activity.
- Perez received an early preview of Trump comments and bought prediction-market contracts on Kalshi.
- He is required to repay all $107,539 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty.
- Perez also accepted a three-year trading ban.
CFTC Settles Case Against Ex-White House Staffer
Gabriel Perez was ordered to pay $172,539 following a U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In an announcement on Friday, it was stated that he illegally traded on the prediction-market platform Novum in October 2016 using prior knowledge of President Donald Trump’s speeches.
As part of the settlement reached, Perez would forfeit to the SEC $107,539.02 in profits from his trading and pay a $65,000 civil penalty. In addition to a three-year ban on trading, Perez has also agreed not to engage in further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.
How the Trading Scheme Worked
The CFTC noted that between December 2025 and February 2026, Perez traded presidential “mention market” contracts on Kalshi while at the White House. These are event contracts that pay out based on the president including a certain word or phrase during his speech.
In response, the agency said Perez had advance access to some of Trump’s speeches before they were delivered and leveraged that nonpublic information into gains from the contracts. Perez subsequently was placed on unpaid leave and is no longer a federal employee.
Reduced Penalty for Cooperation
According to the CFTC, Perez’s $65,000 fine reflected a significant reduction because of his “exemplary cooperation” throughout the investigation. The agency also cited Kalshi, the prediction-market platform that was up against in the case, for help with the investigation.
Source: Reuters
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