White House teleprompter operator betting allegations prompted the White House to place an employee on paid administrative leave while federal regulators review trades flagged on the prediction market Kalshi, officials said. The administration described the reported conduct as unacceptable and said the staffer is cooperating with regulators.
White House teleprompter operator betting
What the White House says
The White House confirmed the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending review. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president was briefed and called the reported behavior “deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace,” according to White House remarks reported to the press.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told reporters the staffer is “fully cooperating with the CFTC,” and said the administration expects staff to adhere to ethics rules and internal policies.
Allegations reported and the CFTC status
ABC News reported that a White House teleprompter operator was linked to sizable trades on Kalshi; ABC named Gabriel Perez based on unidentified sources, though that identification has not been publicly confirmed by federal regulators, according to ABC News’ reporting.
A spokesperson for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission told Fox News the agency “can’t confirm or deny an investigation,” leaving the existence and scope of any CFTC inquiry publicly unverified in that comment to Fox News.
White House teleprompter operator betting details
Kalshi told Fox News its exchange-level surveillance flagged a string of unusual trades in March tied to markets about words and phrases expected to appear in President Trump’s public remarks. According to Kalshi’s account provided to Fox News, the trades stood out from typical trading patterns and drew complaints from market makers.
Kalshi said it froze the account and that more than $90,000 remained on the platform while the company referred the matter to federal regulators. Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, told Fox News the exchange “promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC after an exchange investigation” and said Kalshi provided evidence to assist regulators.
How Kalshi detected the trades
Kalshi characterized the markets involved as centered on common words and topics expected in presidential remarks — country names, economic terms, campaign language and social issues — rather than uniquely sensitive or classified material, according to the company’s statements to Fox News. The company described its action as an exchange-level surveillance referral after reviewing account activity and market complaints.
Kalshi also told Fox News it used internal whistleblower channels and worked with regulators as concerns developed, but the CFTC’s public comment to Fox News did not confirm whether a formal, open investigation exists.
Compact timeline
• March: Kalshi’s surveillance systems flagged a series of unusual trades tied to words and phrases expected in presidential remarks, the company told Fox News.
• After review: Kalshi said it identified the account as belonging to a federal employee, froze the account and referred the matter to the CFTC; more than $90,000 remained on the platform, Kalshi told reporters.
• Recent days: ABC News reported the allegation linking a teleprompter operator to the trades; the White House placed the employee on paid administrative leave and issued condemnations. A CFTC spokesperson told Fox News the agency “can’t confirm or deny an investigation.”
What comes next
The White House said it will cooperate with federal regulators and reiterated that the staffer is on paid administrative leave while inquiries proceed. The CFTC, which oversees certain derivatives and exchange activity, could open a formal inquiry if it deems the referral warranted, though the agency declined to confirm any investigation publicly in comments to Fox News.
Any internal White House ethics review would proceed alongside or separate from federal regulatory steps. Officials said cooperation with regulators is ongoing but gave no timetable for conclusions or possible disciplinary or legal outcomes.
Background and context
Prediction markets like Kalshi allow users to trade on the outcomes of future events, including speech content or policy actions. Such markets draw scrutiny when trades appear to anticipate nonpublic information or when participants may have access to privileged material. Kalshi framed the trades it flagged as involving common speech topics, per the company’s statements to Fox News; regulators will analyze timing, account provenance and trading patterns to assess whether rules were broken.
FAQ
Was the staffer identified by name?
ABC News’ reporting named Gabriel Perez based on unidentified sources, but that identification has not been confirmed by federal regulators in public comments. The White House confirmed the staffer is on paid administrative leave and cooperating with inquiries.
What did Kalshi say it found and do with the account?
Kalshi told Fox News its surveillance system flagged unusual trades tied to expected speech topics, froze the account and left more than $90,000 on the platform while referring the matter to the CFTC. Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, said the company provided evidence to regulators, according to his comments to Fox News.
Has the CFTC confirmed a formal investigation?
No. A CFTC spokesperson told Fox News the agency “can’t confirm or deny an investigation,” which leaves the public status of any formal probe unverified.
Reporting for this article relied on ABC News’ reporting and statements provided to Fox News by Kalshi and a CFTC spokesperson. The White House statements used in this story came from press remarks by Karoline Leavitt and Davis Ingle reported to the press.
