White House Teleprompter Operator Made $107,500 Trading Contracts, CFTC Warns of Manipulation Risks

Odaily News: The CFTC's Division of Market Oversight issued a staff advisory on September 22 stating that contracts tied to specific individuals' statements, appearances, or interactions are more susceptible to manipulation risks, requiring exchanges to explain protective measures on a contract-by-contract basis, including whether outcome determiners are bound by independent obligations, whether they may be subject to pressure, whether outcomes can be externally verified, and whether monitoring mechanisms are suited to the relevant risks.

The document represents staff views and does not constitute binding rules, nor does it prohibit such markets. The CFTC also disclosed that a White House teleprompter operator once used early access to speech drafts to trade such contracts, earning $107,500; Kalshi subsequently still listed the relevant market and said it had responded to prior discussions with the CFTC.