Congressman Abe Hamadeh has shared concerns about the partnership between Kalshi and CNN, highlighting “threats to market integrity, democratic stability, and American national security”.
Congressman Abe Hamadeh wrote a letter to Acting Chairwoman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Caroline D. Pham, outlining concerns centered around the recently announced partnership between Kalshi and CNN. Specifically, Congressman Hamadeh wrote that this partnership “poses direct and foreseeable threats to market integrity, democratic stability, and American national security” and described it as “not merely inappropriate; it is outright dangerous.”
“CNN would be uniquely positioned to shape public perception and news cycles around the very events Kalshi lists as tradable markets,” wrote Congressman Hamadeh. “These events would involve elections, war, foreign policy crises, and domestic instability. No other major media outlet has attempted such a partnership, and for good reason: it creates a built-in structural conflict of interest that allows an influential news organization or foreign adversaries to shape outcomes for financial or competitive advantage.
“I am not surprised that a media entity that has faced persistent concerns regarding accuracy, impartiality, and narrative framing would allow the potential for foreign governments, domestic political groups, or adversarial actors to escalate tensions, manipulate narratives, and pressure institutions in order to profit through Kalshi’s event-contract platform.”
Congressman Hamadeh cited Section 5c(c)(5)(C) of the Commodity Exchange Act, which requires the CFTC to prohibit contracts involving war, gaming, or anything contrary to public interest, such as markets that could be vulnerable to manipulation. He argues that the Kalshi–CNN partnership would violate that section, pointing to bets about “whether Palestinians in Gaza would suffer mass starvation,” and “when Israel will bomb Gaza, bomb the West Bank, or annex either?”
“The situation is chilling, and I have questions,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “We need to know if the Commission is assessing this partnership to see if it is creating vulnerabilities for foreign or domestic actors to influence U.S politics, economics, or national security outcomes for financial profit.”
Kalshi responds to the claims
Kalshi has publicly responded to Congressman Hamadeh’s claims, writing on X: “With all due respect, you’re accusing Kalshi of things we don’t do. The markets you list (e.g. “Will Israel strike Gaza”) are on a competitor’s site, not Kalshi’s. And Kalshi rules prohibit CNN employees from trading on any contract where CNN would be a source of information.”
With all due respect, you’re accusing Kalshi of things we don’t do. The markets you list (e.g. “Will Israel strike Gaza”) are on a competitor’s site, not Kalshi’s. And Kalshi rules prohibit CNN employees from trading on any contract where CNN would be a source of information.
— Kalshi News (@KalshiNewsroom) December 17, 2025
Indeed, searching for ‘Israel’ on Kalshi brings up a host of related contracts, but none related to actual strikes. Instead, Kalshi’s markets include questions like “will the US halt military aid to Israel?”, and “who will be the next new Prime Minister of Israel?”
Congressman Hamadeh has given the Acting Chair 30 days to outline the Commission’s assessment and its intended actions regarding the Kalshi–CNN partnership.
Featured image: Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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