Former White House teleprompter operator ordered to turn over profits, pay fine over insider trading

WASHINGTON (AP) – A former White House teleprompter operator accused of using inside knowledge to create bets on the prediction market Kalshi has been ordered to turn over more than $100, 000 in profits and pay a $65, 000 fine as part.

What happened

For context, the settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, confirmed Friday, additionally dealt Gabriel Perez a three-year trading ban. Perez was placed on unpaid leave from his job at the White House after reports emerged that he applied his position to produce bets on what President Donald Trump would say in speeches.

For context, the White House did not immediately comment on the settlement. A White House official remarked in July that Perez was no longer in his position but did not say if he had been fired or resigned.

Notably, the commission discovered that Perez produced $107, 500 on prediction markets by betting on words and phrases that would appear in Trump's speeches between December 2025 and February 2026.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around former White House teleprompter operator ordered to turn over profits, pay fine point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.