U.S. CFTC fines former White House prompter $172,539 for illegal trading based on Trump speeches

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On August 29, 2026, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fined former White House prompter Gabriel Perez $172,539 for illegal trading based on advance access to Trump speeches. Perez must return $107,539.02 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty, along with a three-year trading ban. The CFTC stated that while serving in the White House from December 2025 to February 2026, he traded Trump-related contracts on Kalshi—contracts whose value depends on whether the president uses specific phrases in his speeches. The case underscores the risks for traders in event-driven assets and reinforces CFTC compliance efforts.

BlockBeats report: On August 29, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) ordered former White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to pay a $172,539 fine for engaging in illegal trading by using advance access to Trump’s speech content on a prediction market platform.


Pursuant to the settlement agreement with the CFTC, Perez must return $107,539.02 in ill-gotten gains and pay a civil penalty of $65,000. He also agrees to a three-year trading ban and commits to cease and desist from violating the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC regulations.


The CFTC noted that Perez traded Trump "mention market" contracts on the Kalshi platform while employed at the White House between December 2025 and February 2026. These contracts are event contracts that determine payouts based on whether the president uses specific words or phrases in his speeches.

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