Kalshi probes suspicious bets on Trump's press secretary pick

Kalshi is investigating suspicious bets that correctly predicted President Donald Trump's selection of Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, according to The Wall Street Journal. The probe focuses on at least three small wagers placed before news outlets reported the appointment Friday afternoon. One bettor placed a $19 wager Thursday evening expected to yield $1,896, while two other bets worth roughly $74 and $80 were placed Friday shortly before reports emerged, projected to return $3,689 and $4,023. Zacharia, a conservative commentator, had roughly a 1% chance on Kalshi's market before the announcement. The investigation follows increased scrutiny of prediction markets amid concerns that insiders with confidential government information could profit. Trump's former teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, was fired after earning over $100,000 betting on presidential speeches, and the White House previously warned staff against using non-public information for financial gain.