Teleprompter operator made nearly $100K betting on Trump speeches
After detecting suspicious activity on the teleprompter operator's account, Kalshi investigated and then referred the case to federal regulators.
Updated on: July 16, 2026 / 6:58 PM EDT / CBS News
A White House teleprompter operator made more than $100,000 on Kalshi bets related to public speeches made by President Trump, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
The sources identified the federal employee as Gabriel Perez.
A Kalshi spokesperson said the company investigated Perez's trading activity after its surveillance systems detected trades that didn't adhere to typical buying and selling patterns. Kalshi froze Perez's account, locking more than $90,000 in profits he made on the platform, the spokesperson confirmed.
After completing its investigation, Kalshi referred the case to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal agency that regulates prediction markets. The Kalshi spokesperson said the company has been working with the CFTC for months.
"Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC after an exchange investigation," Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, said in an email to CBS News. "We have been assisting regulators on this matter and provided evidence we collected, as we do in any referral."