CFTC Says Former White House Teleprompter Operator Settles Market Manipulation Charges for $172,000

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez agreed to pay $172,000 to settle allegations that he used advance access to presidential remarks to trade contracts tied to presidential mentions in markets. According to Odaily, the contracts settle based on whether specific words or phrases appear in a president's speech. Perez allegedly made more than $107,500 between December 2025 and February 2026. The settlement includes disgorgement of those profits, a $65,000 civil penalty, a three-year trading ban, and a commitment to stop violating the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC said Perez received a substantial reduction in penalties under its new cooperation policy because he assisted the investigation, and it credited Kalshi with helping the probe. The agency said event contracts fall within its regulatory scope and that insider-trading rules apply to related swap contracts.