White House Warns Employees Against Insider Trading on Futures

But $760 million in suspicious deals already occurred before Iran strike announcement

Apr. 10, 2026 at 2:39am

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A fractured, abstract painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and waves of navy, charcoal, and deep red, conceptually representing the instability and suspicion surrounding allegations of insider trading and misuse of government power.Suspicious futures trades executed just before a major policy announcement raise concerns about potential insider trading and abuse of government information.Washington Today

The Trump administration has issued a warning to all White House employees prohibiting the use of non-public information for personal gain in futures markets, after over $760 million in suspicious oil futures trades were executed just minutes before the president announced a suspension of strikes on Iran.

Why it matters

The timing of the large futures trades, which occurred before the public announcement of the Iran strike suspension, has raised concerns about potential insider trading and abuse of government information for private profit. This incident highlights the need for stronger regulations and oversight to prevent conflicts of interest and restore public trust in the integrity of government decision-making.

The details

According to the Wall Street Journal, the warning email was sent on March 23 by the White House Office of Administrative Affairs to all employees. The suspicious trades, which netted over $600,000 in profits for some individual traders on the Polymarket platform, were executed around 15 minutes before Trump announced the decision to suspend the Iran strikes.

  • On March 23, the White House sent an email warning all employees against using non-public information for personal gain in futures markets.
  • Around 15 minutes before Trump announced the suspension of Iran strikes, over $760 million in suspicious oil futures trades were executed.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States whose administration issued the warning about insider trading.

Davis Ingle

A White House spokesman who confirmed the president's support for banning the use of non-public information for profit.

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What they’re saying

“The warning was sent by e-mail to all employees from the White House Office of Administrative Affairs on March 23.”

— The Wall Street Journal

“The sudden pause in attacks on Iran has raised suspicions and calls from Democrats for increased regulation.”

— The Wall Street Journal

What’s next

The White House and Congress are expected to investigate the suspicious futures trades and consider new regulations to prevent insider trading and the abuse of government information for personal gain.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the need for stronger ethical standards and oversight within the federal government to ensure that public officials do not misuse their positions for private financial benefit, which erodes public trust and undermines the integrity of the political process.