Senior Trump Teleprompter Operator Fired for Using Speech Insider Information to Participate in Prediction Markets

BlockBeats News, July 29th. Gabriel Perez, who has served as Trump's teleprompter operator since the 2016 presidential campaign, is no longer working for the federal government. White House officials confirmed his departure on Tuesday but declined to comment on whether he was fired or resigned voluntarily. Less than two weeks ago, ABC News reported that Perez was in settlement negotiations with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission regarding related allegations—he was accused of using insider information about the contents of Trump's speeches to predict on Kalshi whether the president would say specific words or phrases, earning over $100,000. White House Press Secretary Levitt previously announced that Perez had been placed on unpaid leave at Trump's direction, calling the allegations "deeply regrettable, frankly a disgrace."

Earlier this month, reports indicated that Perez was under investigation by the CFTC for potential insider trading, with a CFTC spokesperson declining to comment on the status of the investigation. This incident has once again raised concerns about insider trading risks on prediction market platforms—last month, bipartisan senators called on the CFTC to investigate Polymarket for false advertising, and the Perez case further highlights regulatory loopholes in prediction markets and the exploitation of insider information for profit.