Gabriel Perez to Surrender $107,500, Pay $65,000 Fine in CFTC Settlement

A federal settlement has required Gabriel Perez, a former White House employee, to forfeit more than $100,000 in profits and pay a $65,000 civil penalty for placing illegal bets on Donald Trump’s speeches using nonpublic information.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced the settlement on Friday. Under its terms, Perez is banned from trading on prediction markets for three years. The agency found that between December 2025 and February 2026, Perez earned $107,500 in prediction market profits by wagering on specific words and phrases that would appear in Trump’s speeches.

Perez had access to draft presidential addresses before they were delivered, a position that obligated him to uphold duties of trust, loyalty, and integrity. The CFTC stated in its official release: “In his position, Perez had access to presidential speeches prior to their delivery, and he improperly exploited that information — in violation of his duty and the trust and fidelity he owed.”

Perez was placed on unpaid leave from his White House role after reports emerged indicating he had used his official position to place those bets. The White House has not issued any public comment on the settlement. In July, it confirmed that Perez was no longer employed there but did not specify whether he had been terminated or resigned.