Veteran Trump Aide Out After Insider Trading Bust
The aide was one of the few in the White House who had worked for the president as far back as his 2016 presidential campaign.
One of President Donald Trump’s longest-serving aides is out of a job weeks after he was revealed to have used inside knowledge to make a fortune off what the president would say.
A White House official tells Politico that Gabriel Perez, who profited more than $100,000 on the prediction market Kalshi in Trump’s second term, no longer works for the federal government.
The report did not specify whether Perez, who was making an annual salary of $175,000 at the White House, was fired or simply resigned.
Perez was Trump’s teleprompter operator as far back as 2016 and was often the last set of eyes on the president’s remarks before he took to the podium. ABC News reported on July 16 that Perez spoke with federal regulators to settle allegations that he successfully wagered on what Trump would say in public remarks like his State of the Union address.
Gabriel Perez checks a teleprompter before Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump arrives to speak following early results from the 2024 U.S. presidential election in Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 6, 2024.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
A federal probe into Perez’s trading was launched after Kalshi flagged unusual activity on its “Mentions” market, where gamblers bet on whether specific topics or phrases are said during a public address.
The prediction market then informed its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, sparking an investigation over potential insider trading.
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Kalshi had previously banned users from making bets based on information from their work, but has since updated its policies to require users to also disclose their place of employment when they sign up.
Perez made over $100,000 on Kalshi bets from Trump's State of the Union speech this year.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing on July 16 that Perez was placed on unpaid leave at Trump’s request. Speaking for the president, she said that the allegations were “deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace.”
ABC reported that Perez placed successful bets on over a dozen of Trump’s public speeches over the span of three months, including the State of the Union, a primetime address in December, and remarks he made during a Medal of Honor ceremony in March.
Perez reportedly also profited off remarks Trump made during a March Medal of Honor ceremony.
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
Sources told the network that Perez would even cancel bets mid-speech if Trump veered off course from his prepared remarks.
Trump hired Perez by chance in 2016 after searching “teleprompters” on Google and finding his company in New York, Politico reported in 2020.
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