A White House teleprompter operator who has worked for Donald Trump since 2016 is under federal investigation for allegedly using advance knowledge of Trump's remarks to win more than $100,000 on the prediction market Kalshi. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is probing certain bets placed by the operator. The White House confirmed the case and placed the operator on administrative leave.
The alleged scheme
According to the investigation, the operator is suspected of using inside knowledge of Trump's planned statements to place winning bets on Kalshi, a platform that allows users to wager on the outcome of events. The exact nature of the bets and the specific remarks involved have not been disclosed. The CFTC, which regulates prediction markets, is looking into whether the trades violated rules against using non-public information.
CFTC's role
The CFTC has been increasing scrutiny of prediction markets like Kalshi. This case marks one of the first known instances of a federal employee being investigated for allegedly trading on advance knowledge of a political figure's remarks. The agency has not commented on the investigation beyond confirming it is active.
White House response
The White House confirmed the investigation and said the operator has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome. The operator's identity has not been released. The White House did not provide further details about the alleged misconduct or the timeline of the bets.
The investigation was first reported by ABC News. It remains unclear how long the operator had been placing these bets or whether any other individuals are involved.
