Prosecutors Decline Probe Into Trump Aide's $100,000 Insider Bets on Speeches

3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jul 16

Federal prosecutors declined to open a criminal case after regulators examined Gabriel Perez’s alleged use of advance access to Trump speeches to make more than $100,000 on Kalshi prediction markets, ABC News reported.
Kalshi had flagged unusual trading on its “Mentions” market, where users bet on whether words or topics appear in public remarks, and the platform bars wagers based on information obtained through work.
Perez — Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016 and now a deputy assistant earning $175,000 a year — was among the few people with speech drafts and reportedly admitted making some trades.
More than a dozen speeches over three months were allegedly involved, including the State of the Union, and Perez sometimes exited bets mid-speech when Trump skipped prepared lines.
The allegations come after the White House reminded staff in March that insider trading is a federal offense following other suspected insider bets tied to sensitive government actions.