A White House teleprompter operator who has worked behind the scenes of Donald Trump’s biggest speeches since 2016 is now the subject of a federal investigation into whether he used advance knowledge of the president’s remarks to win more than $100,000 on a prediction market, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to ABC News.
Key Takeaways
Gabriel Perez, Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016, allegedly faces a CFTC probe over $100,000 in Kalshi bets.Kalshi reportedly flagged the trades in March 2026 and referred the case to the CFTC, ABC News reported.Perez is said to be having settlement talks that could require repaying profits and a trading restriction.“Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators,” Kalshi lead lawyer Bobby DeNault said in a statement to ABC News.
Investigators reportedly found that Perez sometimes backed out of a bet mid-speech when Trump skipped a word he had wagered on, according to the sources. Trump often departs from his prepared remarks. “I go off teleprompter about 80% of the time,” he told the Detroit Economic Club in January, one of the speeches investigators believe Perez bet on.
ABC Sources Claim Trump’s Teleprompter Acknowledged Some of the TradesA White House spokesperson disclosed that Perez is fully cooperating with the CFTC and that staff are expected to follow strict ethics guidelines. Perez remains in his role teleprompting for the U.S. President.
