Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, WHITE HOUSE NEWS—White House employee reportedly being investigated for insider trading related to Trump speeches, (Jul 20, 2026)
Organizations Mentioned:U.S. Army
A White House teleprompter operator is said to be in settlement talks with federal authorities over alleged insider trading on prediction markets.
The Kalshi exchange has reportedly referred trades by White House teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez to the CFTC after surveillance systems detected anomalous trading patterns relating to public speeches by President Trump, according to CBS News.
Sources told ABC News that Perez made more than $100,000 by trading on inside knowledge of Trump’s speeches.
The CFTC can't confirm or deny an investigation, a CFTC spokesperson said.
Trading on Trump speeches. According to CNN, Perez made the trades in “mention markets,” in which users place trades on which words or phrases public figures will say in an address.
For example, the mention market for Trump’s July 16 address to the nation featured trades for “China/Chinese,” “Transgender,” and “Ceasefire.”
Kalshi rules. Kalshi announced new measures in June to restrict insider trading, including employment verification, risk scoring, and whistleblower reporting. Kalshi said it has caught more than 100 potential insider trades using new tools and referred more than 20 matters to law enforcement.
White House warning. The White House warned employees in a March 24 email not to bet on prediction markets using information leveraged from their positions, according to the Wall Street Journal in April. The email was reportedly sent one day after Trump announced a pause on strikes during the U.S.-Iran war.
CFTC actions against insider trading. The CFTC issued an enforcement advisory in February stating that it has “full authority to police illegal trading practices” relating to event contract trading on designated contract markets. The advisory followed a Kalshi announcement of disciplinary actions involving insider trading on political elections and mention markets.
The CFTC has filed two complaints in federal district court against alleged insider trading on the Polymarket exchange. U.S. Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly traded event contracts on classified government information relating to the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Michele Spagnuolo, a Google employee, allegedly traded on what terms would make the Google 2025 “Year in Search” list.
News: WhiteHouseNews WhiteCollarCrime PublicEmployees