A teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump who made online prediction trades based on information from upcoming speeches has been ordered to pay $172,000, a federal agency said Friday night.
\n\nGabriel Perez used “material, nonpublic information” he obtained through his job to place “trades” on a prediction market, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in a news release.
\n\nPerez was ordered to pay the money he made in profits, $107,539.02, as well as a civil penalty of $65,000.
\n\nHe’s also banned from trading on prediction markets for three years, the CFTC said.
\n\nPerez made the trades through Kalshi. The CFTC said Kalshi assisted in the matter.
\n\n“A Kalshi surveillance investigation caught a White House staffer engaging in prohibited trading activity. Today this individual was subjected to penalties by the CFTC and by our exchange,” Bobby DeNault, Kalshi’s lead lawyer, said in a post on X.
\n\n“It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences,” he added.
\n\nThe White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday night. Perez could not be reached for comment.
\n\nThe CFTC called it a case of insider trading, adding that Perez traded “presidential…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/