CFTC Orders Gabriel Perez to Pay $172,000 for Insider Trading

Release Number 9289-26 CFTC Orders Gabriel Perez to Pay $172,000 for Insider Trading of Mention Market Event Contracts August 28, 2026 WASHINGTON — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced an order filing and settling charges against Gabriel Perez for misappropriating material, nonpublic information obtained through his federal government employment in order to trade event contracts (i.e., swaps) on a prediction market platform for his personal benefit. Under the order, Perez must disgorge the profits he made from his unlawful trading totaling $107,539.02 and pay a civil monetary penalty of $65,000, representing a substantial discount under the Division of Enforcement’s new cooperation advisory because of Perez’s exemplary cooperation with the CFTC. Perez agreed to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations. Under the order, a three-year trading ban is imposed on Perez. The order finds that between December 2025 and February 2026, while working as a teleprompter operator for the White House, Perez traded presidential mention market contracts, which are event contracts reflecting words or phrases the President may use during his speeches. In his position, Perez had access to presidential speeches prior to those speeches being delivered and misappropriated that information—in breach of his duty of trust and confidence—to trade presidential mention market contracts, generating over $107,500 in profits. The CFTC appreciates the assistance of KalshiEX in this matter. -CFTC-