The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ordered a former White House teleprompter operator to pay $172,000 on Friday for trading on advance knowledge of President Donald Trump’s speeches.
The aide, identified as Perez, had access to the text of Trump’s addresses before they were delivered publicly, the regulator said. He used that information to trade event contracts tied to phrases and topics the president was expected to mention.
The bets were placed on futures-style event contracts, which pay out based on whether a specified outcome occurs. Because Perez knew the content of speeches in advance, he could anticipate which contracts would settle in his favor, the CFTC found.
The $172,000 penalty combines the return of trading profits with an additional monetary fine. It exceeds the sum reported earlier this week, when the case first became public.
The matter was initially disclosed with a lower figure of $65,000, reflecting the profits attributed to the scheme at that stage. The revised order reflects the full accounting of the trades and associated penalties.
Event contracts have drawn growing regulatory attention as platforms allow users to wager on political and economic outcomes. The CFTC has moved against individuals accused of exploiting non-public information to trade them.
Earlier this year, the commission settled a separate case involving manipulative trading on such contracts, part of a wider effort to police the fast-growing market.
Trading on material non-public information obtained through a government position falls within the CFTC’s enforcement authority. The regulator treats advance access to a president’s remarks as precisely the kind of privileged information that cannot be used for personal gain.
The order resolves the civil matter. It does not indicate any criminal charges against Perez.