A White House teleprompter operator has been suspended without pay following allegations that he used advance knowledge of President Donald Trump's speeches to profit from online prediction markets.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president was informed and disapproved of the employee's actions, calling them "deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace."
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The operator, identified as Gabriel Perez, allegedly earned over $90,000 by betting on specific phrases and topics that would appear in presidential addresses, according to sources cited by CNN.
The profits have since been frozen during the investigation.
Perez has worked as a technical assistant and teleprompter operator for Trump since 2016, earning an annual salary of $175,000.
He is currently negotiating with federal regulators to resolve the allegations.
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Kalshi's Surveillance System Flagged Unusual Trades
Robert DeNault, Kalshi's head of enforcement, stated that the platform's surveillance team promptly flagged the trades and referred them to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
"We are cooperating and assisting regulators," DeNault said.
The case comes as the Department of Justice pursues its first insider trading cases related to prediction markets, including charges against a special forces soldier and a Google employee, both of whom have pleaded not guilty.
Prediction platforms Kalshi and Polymarket have recently tightened surveillance measures following scrutiny from US senators, while retaining support from CFTC Chair Michael Selig.
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Another technician operated the teleprompter during Thursday night's national address on election integrity, as the White House emphasized its strict ethical guidelines.
