A White House teleprompter operator has been placed on unpaid leave following allegations that he bet on the content of presidential speeches.

This incident raises significant questions about the security of privileged information and the potential for insider trading within the executive branch. If proven, the actions suggest a breach of trust by a staff member with direct access to the president's unfiltered communications.

Gabriel Perez, who has served at the White House since 2016 [1], is the subject of an internal investigation. Officials said they are working to determine if Perez used his position to gain an unfair advantage in gambling markets by knowing the specific wording or topics of President Trump's addresses before they were delivered to the public.

Reports indicate that Perez earned more than $100,000 [1, 2] through these activities. While some reports suggest the amount was almost $100,000 [1], other sources said the winnings exceeded that mark [2].

The investigation is focusing on whether this constitutes a misuse of government resources, or a violation of ethics rules regarding the use of non-public information for personal profit. Perez's role as a teleprompter operator gave him an immediate view of the scripts—often minutes or hours before the president spoke—providing a window of opportunity to place bets on specific phrases or policy announcements.

White House officials said they have not provided a specific timeline for the conclusion of the probe. The administration has previously emphasized a crackdown on leaks and the unauthorized dissemination of internal documents, making this case a high-priority matter for internal security teams.

“Gabriel Perez, who has served at the White House since 2016”

This situation highlights a modern vulnerability in government security where the 'insider information' is not a corporate secret but the specific rhetoric of a head of state. The move to place the employee on unpaid leave indicates the administration is treating the breach as a serious ethics violation, potentially signaling a broader effort to tighten controls over who accesses presidential scripts in the digital age.