CFTC fines former White House aide $172,000 for insider trading on prediction markets

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has ordered a former White House teleprompter operator to pay more than $172,000 for insider trading on a prediction market platform, marking a significant enforcement action in the emerging field of event-based contracts. Gabriel Perez must surrender $107,539.02 in illicit profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty under a settlement announced by the agency on August 29, 2026. The CFTC found that Perez, who had operated the teleprompter for President Donald Trump since 2016, exploited his position to gain advance access to presidential speeches.