A longtime teleprompter operator for US President Donald Trump has been suspended following allegations that he placed bets on an online prediction market regarding the content of the president's public speeches. Gabriel Perez, who has held the position since 2016, was placed on unpaid administrative leave by order of the president and will no longer be employed at the White House.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation, emphasizing the administration's commitment to internal standards. "The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this," Leavitt stated to members of the press.
The allegations center on the prediction market platform Kalshi. Robert Denault, the company's lawyer and head of enforcement, stated via social media that the firm's surveillance team identified, investigated, and referred the suspicious trades to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which maintains regulatory oversight of such activities. Denault confirmed that Kalshi has been cooperating with regulators and has provided all collected evidence regarding the matter.
According to reports from ABC News, the CFTC was alerted by Kalshi regarding the activity. Kalshi's head of enforcement said the company had contacted federal regulators over bets allegedly placed on what the president would say in public speeches. Perez is currently reported to be in settlement negotiations with the regulatory agency.
