Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is reportedly under investigation by US regulators for allegedly using insider knowledge of the president’s speeches to profit on prediction markets. Perez, who has operated Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, is being scrutinized for bets placed on “mention markets” on the platform Kalshi.

Kalshi’s surveillance team flagged and investigated the trades, referring them to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The platform froze Perez's account, retaining over $90,000 in profits. Perez is reportedly cooperating with the investigation. A White House spokesperson stated that staffers are expected to follow strict ethics guidelines.

The incident highlights concerns about insider trading in prediction markets, where users can bet on various outcomes, including specific words politicians might say. Kalshi has since implemented stricter user disclosure requirements for certain high-risk markets.