Kalshi Suspends Trading Privileges for NC Candidate Laurie Buckhout for Three Years

ChainCatcher report: Predictive market platform Kalshi has suspended Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout from North Carolina for three years and imposed a fine of $2,589.96 for purchasing contracts related to her own campaign. Under a settlement agreement effective August 28, Buckhout bought contracts worth less than $1,000 tied to her candidacy, violating Kalshi’s Rule 5.17(z), which prohibits trading by individuals with “direct or indirect influence” over the outcome. In a statement, Buckhout said: “I did bet on myself, and that was a foolish mistake—I immediately cooperated and corrected it once I recognized the issue. My career as a Kalshi trader was brief.” Kalshi noted that Buckhout cooperated fully with the investigation and agreed to the penalties. Previously, Kalshi has imposed similar penalties on other politicians, including Minnesota Senator Matt Klein and former Texas congressional candidate Ezekiel Enriquez, for betting on their own campaigns. Buckhout, a retired U.S. Army colonel and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, is challenging Democratic Representative Don Davis in a rematch of their 2024 contest, in which Davis won with 49.5% to Buckhout’s 47.8%. North Carolina’s state legislature redrew the district last year to favor Republicans, and the Cook Political Report now rates the district as “Republican-leaning.”