Gabriel Perez, US President Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator, is under investigation by federal regulators over alleged insider trading on the prediction market platform Kalshi, while the White House has placed him on unpaid leave, according to Reuters.The investigation focuses on trades that allegedly took place on Kalshi’s “signal markets,” where users bet on whether specific words or phrases would be used in public speeches. Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Calci detected the suspicious activity through customer onboarding and market monitoring systems before referring the case to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).Calci also froze Perez’s account before withdrawing more than $90,000 in profits, according to Reuters. The report said Perez is cooperating with the CFTC investigation.Confirming the action taken by the White House, press secretary Carolyn Leavitt told reporters: “The president is aware of the teleprompter operator, and the employee is now on unpaid leave.” She later added that Perez “will no longer work in the White House.”
When asked whether other White House staffers had access to Kalshi or Polymarket on government machines, Leavitt said she did not know and added that, to her knowledge, no other White House or administration staffers were suspected of using classified information to bet.Kalci said she immediately alerted regulators after her internal investigation.“Our monitoring team immediately reported these trades and referred them to the CFTC after conducting an investigation into the exchange.
“We have assisted the regulators on this matter and provided the evidence we have collected, as we would in any referral,” Robert Denault, head of enforcement at Calci, told Reuters.According to Reuters, Calci’s internal review included an interview with Perez, while market makers also reported potential irregularities in several of the market trades mentioned through whistleblower channels.The platform’s signals markets allow users to bet on whether certain words or phrases will be spoken during events such as presidential speeches, corporate earnings calls, and televised broadcasts.
Such contracts have come under scrutiny by regulators due to concerns that they may be vulnerable to insider trading by people with prior access to prepared notes.Calci announced in June that it would require employment disclosure for users who trade sensitive contracts and launch a whistleblower portal to enhance market integrity.Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have faced increased regulatory scrutiny due to concerns about market manipulation and insider trading. Earlier this year, a US Army soldier was charged with betting related to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at Polemarket, while former congressman Jorge Santos is also under federal investigation over alleged insider trading in Calche, according to Reuters.
