Gabriel Perez, who had served as Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator since the 2016 presidential campaign, is no longer working for the federal government, according to a White House official who confirmed his departure on Tuesday but declined to say whether he was fired or resigned. Less than two weeks earlier, ABC News reported that Perez was in settlement talks with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission over allegations tied to trades on Kalshi. He was accused of using advance knowledge of Trump speech scripts to bet on whether the president would say specific words or phrases, generating more than $100,000 in profit. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously said Trump directed that Perez be suspended without pay, calling the allegations deeply regrettable and, in her words, “a shame.” The case has sharpened attention on insider-trading risks in prediction markets, especially after bipartisan senators last month asked the CFTC to investigate allegedly deceptive advertising by Polymarket.
Gabriel Perez, who had worked as Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator since the 2016 presidential campaign, is no longer employed by the federal government.
A White House official confirmed his departure on Tuesday but declined to say whether Perez had been fired or had left on his own.
Kalshi trades tied to advance access to Trump speeches
Less than two weeks ago, ABC News reported that Perez was in settlement talks with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, over related allegations. He was accused of using nonpublic knowledge of Trump’s speech content to place trades on Kalshi over whether the president would say certain words or phrases during speeches, earning more than $100,000 in total profit.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously said Perez was suspended without pay at Trump’s direction. She described the allegations as “deeply regrettable” and, bluntly, “a shame.”
CFTC did not comment on the status of the case
Earlier this month, reports said Perez was under CFTC investigation for potential insider trading. A CFTC spokesperson declined to comment on the status of that investigation.
Case renews scrutiny of prediction market oversight
The matter has again drawn attention to insider-trading risks on prediction market platforms. Last month, bipartisan senators asked the CFTC to investigate allegedly false advertising by Polymarket. The Perez case has now pushed concerns over regulatory gaps in prediction markets, and the use of information asymmetry by insiders for profit, back into focus.
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