The employee under investigation, Gabriel Perez, has worked as President Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016
WASHINGTON: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 17th, 2026) US Federal authorities have launched an investigation into a senior White House teleprompter operator over allegations that he leaked the contents of President Donald Trump's speeches before they were delivered and used the information to place profitable bets on an online prediction market.
According to US media reports, the employee under investigation, Gabriel Perez, has worked as President Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016. Investigators allege that Perez had advance access to the president's prepared speeches and used that privileged information to place bets on the US-based prediction market platform Kalshi, earning substantial financial gains.
The reports claim Perez was among a limited number of White House staff members who had access to the speech texts before they were made public.
Kalshi said its monitoring system detected unusual betting activity in markets related to President Trump's speeches. After an internal review, the company reportedly discovered that the account involved was linked to a federal employee. The matter was then referred to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for further investigation.
The platform has frozen the account and blocked the withdrawal of more than $90,000 while authorities continue their investigation.
According to reports, Perez allegedly placed bets on more than a dozen major presidential speeches over the past three months, including the State of the Union Address and remarks delivered at the World Economic Forum. Some reports also suggest he adjusted his bets during live speeches whenever President Trump departed from the prepared script.
Prediction markets allow users to wager on whether specific words, phrases or topics will be mentioned during speeches or public events. Having prior access to a speech's contents could provide a significant advantage in such markets.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump has been informed of the matter. She said Perez has been placed on unpaid administrative leave with immediate effect and will no longer perform his duties at the White House while the investigation is underway.
Leavitt described the allegations as "deeply concerning" and said the administration would not tolerate violations of ethical standards.
Federal regulators are now examining whether Perez unlawfully used confidential government information for personal financial gain. US media reports also indicate that discussions over a possible settlement are ongoing, which could include the repayment of alleged profits and commitments to refrain from similar activities in the future. However, no final decision has been announced.
The case has also renewed debate over the growing popularity of prediction markets in the United States and the potential risks of insider information being used by individuals with access to sensitive government material.
