CFTC Fines Trump Teleprompter Operator $172,000

Gabriel Perez, who served as President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator for nearly a decade, has agreed to pay over $172,000 to settle charges from the CFTC. The CFTC noted that there were 49 trades made between December 2025 and February 2026, of which 39 were profitable, yielding a profit of $107,539.02. The order requires the return of this amount, along with an additional civil penalty of $65,000. These bets were placed in Kalshi's "mention market," where users attempt to predict whether a public figure will mention specific words or phrases during an event. Perez had placed bets on the State of the Union address, the National Prayer Breakfast, Medal of Honor ceremonies, and speeches at rallies. The case began when Kalshi's monitoring team detected unusual activity in these Trump-related markets, leading to the tracking of the account and its connection to a federal employee operating the teleprompter at the White House. In addition to settling with regulators, Perez has also been banned from the platform for three years. The CFTC stated that the penalty was reduced due to his "exemplary cooperation," as he voluntarily admitted during an interview that the trades were based on confidential information he obtained while reviewing speech drafts. Kalshi's enforcement chief, Bobby DeNault, stated that anyone who violates company rules or federal laws will "face consequences."