2026-08-31T16:53:53.715Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/31/politics/george-santos-kalshi-ban
预测市场平台卡尔希（Kalshi）周一对一场竞争激烈的众议院选区共和党候选人处以罚款，并对前众议员乔治·桑托斯实施了该平台有史以来首次终身禁赛，此前双方已就内幕交易展开调查。
北卡罗来纳州候选人劳里·巴克哈特在给美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）的一份声明中承认，她曾押注自己的竞选，并表示自己犯了一个“愚蠢的错误”。
这是迄今为止最受关注的政治内幕交易案例，即候选人或工作人员利用自身掌握的内幕信息或能够影响选举结果的优势进行市场交易。专家警告称，随着今年预测平台的普及，这种行为正日益成为一种风险。
“我押注了自己，真的，”巴克哈特说道，“这是个愚蠢的错误，我一发现问题就努力弥补了。可以说，我在卡尔希的交易生涯很短暂。”
卡尔希在周一的一份法律文件中指出，巴克哈特的交易金额不足1000美元，且配合了平台的内部调查，因此将被禁赛三年。
而针对桑托斯的终身禁赛，则源于他今年早些时候就自己能否出席国情咨文演讲所下的内幕赌注。桑托斯曾在2023年臭名昭著地被国会驱逐，后因一起无关的欺诈案入狱，但去年凭借特朗普的减刑提前获释。
如今，像卡尔希和Polymarket这类允许用户对体育、选举、娱乐等事件下注的预测市场，每周的交易量已达数十亿美元。相关企业和联邦监管机构已承诺将打击内幕交易和市场操纵行为。
今年早些时候，卡尔希曾因类似行为暂停了两党共三名小型政治候选人的账户。
CNN与卡尔希存在合作关系，并使用其数据报道重大事件。CNN的编辑人员不得在预测市场进行交易。
巴克哈特一案是首个公开披露的国会竞选候选人押注自身竞选的案例，且该案发生在一个关键选区。
唐纳德·特朗普总统已背书退役陆军上校巴克哈特，她也是全国共和党国会委员会“让美国再次强大多数派”计划首批提名的候选人之一，该计划旨在助力共和党人拿下民主党掌控的席位。
北卡罗来纳州第一国会选区是中期选举中竞争最激烈的众议院选区之一。该区域涵盖北卡罗来纳州东部大部分乡村地区，自2023年起由民主党众议员唐·戴维斯担任代表。
共和党州议员去年对该选区进行了重新划分，这是特朗普在中期选举前在全国范围内推动有利于共和党的选区重划计划的一部分。根据库克政治报告的分类，该选区目前被评为“倾向共和党”，是共和党有望拿下民主党席位的最佳机会之一。
巴克哈特曾在2024年与戴维斯竞选该席位，在选区重划前以不到2个百分点的差距落败。她在启动本次竞选前，去年曾在国防部短暂任职。
民主党人抓住卡尔希公布的这一结果攻击巴克哈特。
戴维斯在社交媒体帖子中称，巴克哈特的行为是“丧失公众信任的不可饶恕的失信行为”，并指责她将竞选活动当作“牟利的机会”。
民主党国会竞选委员会发言人麦迪逊·安德鲁斯在一份声明中表示，“绝不可能信任她能为北卡罗来纳州民众担任一名有道德操守的议员”。
卡尔希平台的一位发言人证实，针对桑托斯的终身禁赛是该平台首例。
“嘿@卡尔希，感谢你们把我终身禁赛出你们的赌博平台。咱们看看你们还能撑多久，”桑托斯周一在X平台上发文称，这番话针对的是当下的一场法律纠纷，即卡尔希这类预测公司应被各州归类为赌博平台，还是继续由联邦政府按金融市场进行监管。
监管预测市场的联邦监管机构也对桑托斯的行为展开了调查。美国商品期货交易委员会今年7月宣布达成和解，对桑托斯处以17500美元罚款，并结案。
卡尔希执法主管鲍比·德诺尔周一表示，该公司正对巴克哈特、桑托斯以及其他几名违反平台规则的交易员采取行动。
“除乔治·桑托斯外，所有人员都配合了我们合规部门的调查，他们将被暂时禁赛，”德诺尔说道。
CNN已联系桑托斯置评。
他此前否认存在不当行为，并称相关指控“荒谬可笑”。在有关其可疑交易的公开报道传出后，他曾在社交媒体上抨击卡尔希，称其为“掠夺性应用程序”。
本文已更新最新信息。
George Santos becomes first person to get lifetime ban from Kalshi
2026-08-31T16:53:53.715Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/31/politics/george-santos-kalshi-ban
The prediction market Kalshi on Monday fined the Republican nominee in a competitive House race and imposed its first-ever lifetime ban, against former Rep. George Santos, after insider trading investigations.
The North Carolina candidate, Laurie Buckhout, admitted in a statement to CNN that she bet on her own campaign and said she made a “dumb mistake.”
This is the highest-profile example to date of political insider trading, where candidates or staffers trade on markets where they possess inside information or can influence the outcome. Experts have warned the practice is a growing danger as prediction platforms have exploded in popularity this year.
“I bet on myself. Literally,” Buckhout said. “It was a dumb mistake, and as soon as I learned there was an issue, I worked to make it right. Safe to say my career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived.”
Kalshi noted in a legal filing on Monday that she traded less than $1,000, cooperated with their internal investigation, and will get a three-year suspension.
The lifetime ban against Santos, meanwhile, stems from insider bets he placed about his potential appearance at the State of the Union earlier this year. Santos infamously was expelled from Congress in 2023 and went to prison in an unrelated fraud case but was released early thanks to a Trump commutation last year.
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket – where people can wager on sports, elections, entertainment and more – now see billions of dollars in weekly trading volume. The companies and federal regulators have pledged to crack down on insider trading and market manipulation.
Earlier this year, Kalshi suspended three minor political candidates, hailing from both parties, for similar conduct.
CNN has a partnership with Kalshi and uses its data to cover major events. CNN’s editorial employees aren’t permitted to trade on prediction markets.
The Buckhout case is the first publicly known instance of a nominee running for Congress caught betting on their own campaign. And it came in a critical district.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, and she was one of the first candidates named to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “MAGA Majority” program for the midterms. The program promotes the party’s most promising recruits to flip Democratic-held seats.
North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District is one of the most competitive House districts in the midterms. It covers a mostly rural region of eastern North Carolina and has been represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis since 2023.
Republican state lawmakers redrew the district last year as part of Trump’s nationwide push for GOP-friendly redistricting ahead of the midterms. It is now classified as “Lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report, making it one of Republicans’ best shots at netting a seat.
Buckhout ran against Davis in 2024 and lost by fewer than 2 percentage points before the district was redrawn. She briefly worked for the Department of Defense last year before launching her latest campaign.
Democrats seized on the Kalshi announcement to attack Buckhout.
In a social media post, Davis said Buckhout’s actions were “a disqualifying breach of public trust” and chided her for using the campaign as “an opportunity to cash in.”
Madison Andrus, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement “there is no chance she can be trusted as an ethical representative for North Carolina families.”
The Santos case is the first lifetime ban on the Kalshi platform, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Hey @Kalshi thanks for the lifetime ban from your gambling platform. Let’s see how much longer you guys are around for,” Santos posted Monday on X, referring to the ongoing legal battle over whether prediction companies like Kalshi should be regulated by the states as gambling or continue to be regulated by the federal government as financial markets.
Federal regulators that oversee prediction markets also investigated Santos for his conduct. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced a settlement in July, imposing a $17,500 fine against Santos and closing the government’s probe.
Kalshi’s head of enforcement, Bobby DeNault, said Monday that the company was taking action against Buckhout, Santos, and a few other traders who broke the site’s rules.
“All but one individual (George Santos) cooperated with our Compliance Department inquiries and will be banned temporarily,” DeNault said.
CNN has reached out to Santos for comment.
He previously denied wrongdoing and called the allegations “preposterous.” After public reports about his questionable trades, he attacked Kalshi on social media, calling it “a predatory app.”
This story has been updated with new information.
发表回复