Trump's Teleprompter Operator Fired for Insider Trading

Gabriel Perez is no longer working for the federal government, having served as Trump's teleprompter operator. White House officials confirmed his departure but did not specify whether he was fired or resigned voluntarily. Perez is accused of using insider information about Trump's speech content to make predictions on Kalshi, reportedly earning over $100,000. The White House press secretary stated that these allegations are regrettable and indicated that Perez has been instructed by Trump to be suspended without pay. Perez is under investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for potential insider trading, and a CFTC spokesperson declined to comment on the status of the investigation. This incident has raised concerns about the risks of insider trading on prediction market platforms, and recently, bipartisan senators have called for the CFTC to investigate Polymarket's false advertising. The Perez case further highlights regulatory gaps in prediction markets and the issue of insiders profiting from information asymmetry.