Politico reports that the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission has opened an investigation into former Representative Adam Kinzinger for placing bets on the prediction market Kalshi on whether he would get a pardon from the Biden administration. Kinzinger claims he had no insider information that President Joe Biden was going to preemptively pardon the entire January 6 Select Committee.
Financial regulator investigates Adam Kinzinger over Kalshi trading https://t.co/8U88pC8HwH
— POLITICO (@politico) September 30, 2026
Politico: Financial regulator investigates Adam Kinzinger over Kalshi trading
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) September 30, 2026
The CFTC is targeting trades the former House Republican made related to his Biden-era pardon.
Link to article: https://t.co/qs1kAB8m9J pic.twitter.com/rgLuQCeG1z
"I had no inside information"
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 30, 2026
Other than, you know, probably sources in the Biden administration, who told him they were going to pardon him. https://t.co/QWoNSMGqFz pic.twitter.com/PV3GpX4mk7
Aiden Reiter reports for Politico:
A top federal financial regulator is investigating former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger — an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump — for prediction market trades he made tied to his pardon by former President Joe Biden, according to three people with knowledge of the probe.
…
Kinzinger said in an interview that he placed wagers on a contract on whether he would receive a presidential pardon and a separate contract on whether Biden would issue preemptive pardons toward the end of his term.
According to screenshots provided by Kinzinger, he made $823 on the trades. He said he also made “25 or so” total trades at the time and mostly lost money.
1.) Adam Kinzinger sat on the January 6 committee.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
He took a preemptive pardon from Joe Biden.
And before he got it, he was placing bets on whether it was coming.
This morning the federal government is investigating him for it. 💎🧵
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2.) December 2024. Kinzinger, two years out of Congress, opens positions on Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
3.) He trades two contracts.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
One on whether Joe Biden will issue preemptive pardons before leaving office.
One on whether Adam Kinzinger will personally receive a pardon.
4.) He keeps trading into January 2025.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
5.) January 20, 2025. In the final hours of his presidency, Biden issues the preemptive pardons.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
Kinzinger is on the list.
6.) Here is what Biden said that day.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
These were "public servants" who "served our nation with honor and distinction." The pardons "should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing."
7.) Nobody did anything wrong. That was the official line.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
And while the President was saying it out loud, one of the men covered by it had money riding on whether he would be included.
8.) About 25 trades in all. The net came to $823.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
9.) The rules he was trading under.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
Kalshi bars any user from trading a contract in which they are a direct participant.
The CFTC bars the use of material nonpublic information on a regulated market.
Both are now under examination by the commission.
10.) His answer: he had no inside information, he had been out of office two years, he read the rules first, and he never discussed pardons with anyone.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
The CFTC has not commented. Neither has Kalshi. Nothing has been proven.
11.) Twenty five trades. Eight hundred and twenty three dollars.
— Jewels Jones ® (@JewelsJonesLive) September 30, 2026
That is the number at which a former United States congressman was willing to gamble on his own pardon.
The CFTC will decide whether it broke a rule. The rest of us can decide what it says about the man. 💎
Hey, 823 bucks is 823 bucks.
This just confirms what we already know about @AdamKinzinger: he’s a petulant child who spent years lecturing everyone on norms, then allegedly cashed in on his own pardon.
— Just Some Guy. (@PoliInsider) September 30, 2026
The CFTC looking at those Kalshi trades is the least surprising headline of the year.
This is my favorite story this month. 😁
— Joe Fox (@45_flyer) September 30, 2026
Hahahaha awesome…. What an absolute clown 🤡
— klundgren (@vaxx_passports) September 30, 2026
No one is above the law. If Crying Adam committed the crime, he must do the time.
— McTurts - Liberal Slayer (@Tuttle_Power) September 30, 2026
He'll claim that his pardon covers it. lol
— John Reese - Person of Interest (@Rickisback_ON_X) September 30, 2026
Sure is weird how all the people that screamed the loudest about corruption keep getting exposed as corrupt
— Mr. E (@Mr_E_Studio) September 30, 2026
I just want them to subpoena @AdamKinzinger's Grindr DMs. So many possible sources for insider trading info.
— Smells Like Teen Statism (@BlueEightySix) September 30, 2026
I don't care what the guy says. How can you bet on Kalshi about whether or not you're going to get a pardon? That just tells you what an absolute fucking scumbag that guy is. Absolute scumbag.
— SSDDs 🇺🇲 (@BiggsMervyn) September 30, 2026
Just brazen, absolute corruption.
— Slender Mandalorian🇺🇸 (@SlenderMando) September 30, 2026
— Susy (@Susy1004P) September 30, 2026
Do they have a special prison just for cry babies? He better watch out where he drops the soap.
— Kenny Joseph (@KennyJoseph59) September 30, 2026
There was a time, a long time ago, when Kinzinger didn't strike us as an absolute loser and a clown.
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