Trump Teleprompter Operator Placed on Leave Over Betting Scandal

Gabriel Perez, the teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump since 2016, was placed on unpaid leave following allegations that he bet on the president's public speeches using inside information. Perez reportedly won more than $100,000 on the online prediction market Kalshi, with specific bets tied to the State of the Union address.

Kalshi's surveillance team flagged the suspicious trades and referred them to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for regulatory review. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, condemned the incident as a disgrace and an unfortunate situation, asserting that the administration maintains strict ethical guidelines regarding such matters.