Washington, DC – A formal settlement has revealed that a former White House staffer will pay $165,000 as punishment for illegal betting and exploiting his sensitive position to wager on the content of President Donald Trump’s speeches. Under the settlement reached with federal authorities and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which was made public, the staffer, Gabriel Perez, was required to forfeit more than $100,000 in illicit gains. He was also fined $65,000. The settlement also includes a strict three-year trading ban for Perez.
It is worth noting that Perez was initially placed on unpaid leave from his White House position immediately after media reports surfaced confirming his use of inside information. While the White House declined to comment directly on the terms of the settlement, it had previously announced in July that Perez was no longer officially employed at the White House. However, it did not disclose whether he had resigned or been dismissed.
The committee’s investigation found that Gabriel Perez earned $107,500 through prediction markets such as Calchi. These profits resulted from his repeated betting on specific words and phrases that President Trump would use in speeches between December 2025 and February 2026.
The committee explained in its official statement: “In his position, Peres had access to presidential speeches before they were delivered, and Peres exploited that information unlawfully – in violation of his duty, trust, and integrity,” reflecting the seriousness of the professional and ethical violation committed by the former employee.
