Kalshi investigates suspicious trades tied to Trump’s press secretary pick

Kalshi, the prediction market platform regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is investigating a cluster of bets on who would become the next White House press secretary. The bets backed Katie Zacharia, and they landed shortly before she was named to the role. Before the announcement, Zacharia’s odds on Kalshi sat at approximately 1%, according to the Wall Street Journal. Then a few traders put money on her. Then she got the job. A $19 bet with a 100x payoff Zacharia was revealed as the appointee on October 9, 2026, through a post on Truth Social. The Wall Street Journal reported the Kalshi investigation the same day. Three trades are drawing attention. The first was a $19 wager placed late on October 8, which stood to return $1,896. The other two came on October 9, just minutes before the announcement. One was a bet of about $74 that could have returned $3,689. The other was about $80, with a potential payout of $4,023. Add it up and the three bets total less than $175 in stakes. Their potential combined payouts top $9,500. A Kalshi representative confirmed the investigation but offered little detail. The company framed the probe as part of its broader effor...