WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump White House has placed a longtime teleprompter staff member on unpaid administrative leave following reports that federal regulators are investigating whether privileged access to presidential speech drafts was used to trade on political prediction markets.
The decision came shortly after details of the investigation became public, with the administration taking immediate action while the matter is reviewed. White House officials say the move reflects President Donald Trump’s commitment to maintaining ethical standards throughout his administration.
According to reports, the staff member under investigation is Gabriel Perez, who has worked as President Trump’s teleprompter operator since the 2016 campaign. The inquiry is reportedly being led by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and centers on whether advance access to prepared presidential remarks was used to place trades on prediction platform Kalshi.
The markets in question reportedly allow participants to predict whether specific words or phrases will appear in major presidential speeches.
White House Responds Quickly
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump was informed of the situation and supported immediate administrative action while investigators review the facts.
Rather than waiting for the investigation to conclude, the administration placed the staff member on unpaid leave, a move supporters say demonstrates that ethical concerns are taken seriously regardless of a person’s position or years of service.
Reports indicate Kalshi froze the account involved after identifying unusual trading activity and referred the matter to federal authorities before significant winnings could be withdrawn.
Trump’s Speaking Style Adds Another Twist
Political commentators have noted that President Trump is known for departing from prepared remarks during speeches, making it difficult to predict exactly what he will say.
Fox News contributor Clay Travis pointed out that while speeches are drafted in advance, President Trump frequently speaks off script, making prediction markets based solely on prepared text far from certain. Still, he argued that anyone with advance access to confidential government materials should never use that information for personal financial gain.
Reinforcing Trust in Government
The incident comes as prediction markets continue to grow in popularity, bringing increased attention from regulators concerned about insider information and market integrity.
For supporters of the administration, the White House’s quick response reflects President Trump’s broader message that public service carries responsibility and that government employees are expected to uphold the public’s trust.
As the federal investigation continues, the administration says it will cooperate fully with authorities while maintaining its commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct across the executive branch.
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