The CFTC fines former White House aide $172,000 for illegally trading on Trump speech info

BlockBeats News, August 29, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Friday ordered former White House speechwriter operator Gabriel Perez to pay a $172,539 fine for using advance knowledge of Trump's speech content to conduct illegal trades on a prediction market platform.

Under the settlement agreement with the CFTC, Perez is required to return $107,539.02 in illegal profits and pay a $65,000 civil monetary penalty. He has also agreed to a three-year trading ban and committed to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations.

The CFTC noted that Perez, during his tenure at the White House from December 2025 to February 2026, traded on the Kalshi platform in Trump "mention market" contracts. These contracts are event-based, with payouts determined by whether the president used specific words or phrases in his speeches.