Kalshi Fines Three U.S. Congressional Candidates and Bans Them for 5 Years

According to a disclosure by Kalshi, the prediction market platform Kalshi has fined and banned three congressional candidates from accessing the platform for five years for betting on their own election outcomes. The candidates involved include Mark Moran, Matt Klein, and Ezekiel Enriquez.

Virginia State Senate candidate Mark Moran was fined $6,229 and required to return profits from related market trades; Minnesota House of Representatives candidate Matt Klein was fined $540; and Texas Republican primary candidate Ezekiel Enriquez was fined $784.

Mark Moran posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating that his approximately $100 bet on Kalshi was intended to draw attention to expose potential manipulation and corruption issues on the platform. Matt Klein posted on X, explaining that he placed the bet out of curiosity and, upon learning it violated the rules, paid the fine and accepted the ban. Kalshi's legal counsel, Bobby DeNault, stated that the candidates' actions violated internal trading control rules and that penalties would be imposed regardless of the transaction amount.