Democrats push ban on officials betting after White House briefing clip and $400k Maduro wager

Beincrypto reports a viral clip of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ending a briefing seconds before Kalshi’s 65-minute betting threshold has intensified concern about insider trading in prediction markets, and 30 House Democrats have introduced a bill to bar officials from such markets after a $400,000 payout related to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

The briefing incident occurred on January 7, when Leavitt concluded the session at about 64 minutes and 30 seconds as Kalshi’s market showed a 98% chance the briefing would exceed 65 minutes; traders who bet against that outcome reportedly earned returns of up to 50x in seconds. A clip posted by an X account went viral and drew accusations of manipulation, though the original poster later said the tweet was meant as humor and Kalshi confirmed total volume was $3,400 with the largest position at $186, calling insider-trading claims "baseless." On January 10 Rep.

Ritchie Torres introduced the "Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026," backed by 30 Democrats including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi; the bill would bar federal elected officials, political appointees, executive-branch employees and congressional staff from betting on government policy, action or political outcomes when they have access to material non-public information.

Key Topics

Politics, Prediction Markets, Kalshi, Polymarket, White House, Ritchie Torres