A former White House teleprompter operator accused of using confidential information to place bets on prediction market Kalshi has agreed to hand over more than $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 fine under a settlement with US federal authorities.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the settlement on Friday. It also barred Gabriel Perez from trading for three years.
Perez was placed on unpaid leave from his White House job after reports emerged that he allegedly used advance knowledge of President Donald Trump's speeches to bet on the words and phrases he would use.
The White House did not immediately comment on the settlement. A White House official said in July that Perez was no longer working in his previous position but did not clarify whether he had been fired or resigned.
According to the commission, Perez earned $107,500 by placing bets on prediction markets involving words and phrases that would appear in Trump's speeches between December 2025 and February 2026.
The CFTC said Perez had access to presidential speeches before they were delivered and improperly used that nonpublic information for personal financial gain, violating his duty of trust and confidence.
Under the settlement, Perez must repay the full $107,500 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty. The commission said the fine was reduced because of his “exemplary cooperation” with the investigation.
After the allegations became public on July 16, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the matter as “unfortunate” and “a disgrace.”