White House Staffer Loses Job After Kalshi Detects Bets on Trump Speeches

Gabriel Perez, Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator, no longer works for the U.S. federal government. He was accused of using confidential information to bet on the president’s speeches via the Kalshi platform. His suspicious earnings reportedly exceed $100,000.

Kalshi’s internal monitoring, first line of defense against insiders

Predictive markets like Kalshi rely on a simple principle: any citizen can bet on the outcome of a future event, from a political decision to a sports result. However, this promise of openness hits a red line: insider information. The platform has just demonstrated this by detecting Gabriel Perez’s suspicious transactions through its internal monitoring algorithms.

Specifically, Kalshi’s dedicated team identified abnormally precise bets on the contents of Donald Trump’s speeches, placed just before their public delivery. This is not the first time the platform has had to intervene against suspicious behaviors. It had already strengthened its protocols over recent months to track users betting on non-public information.

The platform strictly prohibits its users from profiting from information obtained through their employment. Gabriel Perez, as the technician responsible for displaying speeches on the presidential prompter, had exactly this type of confidential data. According to an ABC News report relayed by the Associated Press, illicit gains would exceed $100,000.

Washington under pressure: what did the White House know?

A White House official confirmed Tuesday that Gabriel Perez is no longer employed by the federal government. The Trump administration, however, declined to specify whether he resigned or was dismissed.

The White House had placed him on unpaid leave earlier this month, as soon as the first suspicions arose. This administrative sidelining thus preceded the definitive termination that took place this week, according to Associated Press information.

The case also raises delicate questions for an administration that has multiplied initiatives in favor of cryptocurrencies and predictive markets. President Trump himself has repeatedly spoken in favor of federal regulation of these platforms, advocating a national-level framework rather than a patchwork of state rules.

Predictive markets tested by their own success

The Perez case illustrates a growing paradox for platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. Their attractiveness depends on democratized access to event betting, but this same openness mechanically exposes them to manipulation risks by insiders.

The CFTC, to which Kalshi has forwarded the case, now finds itself on the front line. The federal agency already oversees futures and swaps markets. Its scope now de facto includes predictive markets, which could accelerate the adoption of a specific regulatory framework.

 “Kalshi prohibits users from trading based on information obtained through their employment “, the platform reminds in its terms of use.

The multiplication of cases involving public officials and betting platforms strengthens calls for clear federal legislation. The U.S. Congress, which has already debated several proposals on the subject, could find in the Perez scandal an unexpected political accelerator.

In short, Gabriel Perez’s dismissal reminds us that predictive markets do not operate in a gray area. Kalshi’s proactive detection and then referral to the CFTC draw a clear line: insiders have no place on these platforms. The Trump administration, which has already defended federal jurisdiction over these new markets, now faces its own principles.