A lawyer who helped Kalshi win a key court fight against the federal government now helps the federal government protect Kalshi from state attorneys general.
Yaakov Roth, a former Jones Day white shoe lawyer who represented Kalshi in the landmark KalshiEX v. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) case, appeared by name on federal complaints filed yesterday against Illinois, Arizona, and Connecticut.
His current title is now Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division. These federal lawsuits argue that state gambling laws should have little jurisdiction over prediction markets due to the CFTC’s oversight.
In essence, the suits are attempts by the CFTC to protect Kalshi from state-level actions.
You really can't make this stuff up- https://t.co/vWuDtTvWyQ
— Jason Mikula (@mikulaja) April 2, 2026
Roth joined the DOJ in February 2025. He had already secured a pivotal victory in late 2024 when the DC Circuit denied the CFTC’s emergency stay against Kalshi’s event contracts contingent on US elections. In January 2025, Roth argued the full appeal, then joined DOJ. The CFTC later dropped its appeal against Kalshi in May 2025 in a victory for Roth.
The Biden-era CFTC disapproved of Kalshi’s proposed congressional control election contracts in 2023. Kalshi then sued the CFTC, challenging that decision. By May 2025, the Trump-era CFTC voluntarily dropped the commissioners’ appeal.
Now at the US government’s DOJ instead of Kalshi’s law firm Jones Day, Roth has been found on a team on the other side of the “v.” (versus) separator in lawsuit titles involving Kalshi.
The Kalshi-government lawyer pipeline
Roth is not the only former Kalshi lawyer to land a government job.
Eliezer Mishory, Kalshi’s former General Counsel lawyer, stepped down in March 2025 to take a DOGE-linked role at the SEC, where his title is Senior Advisor to the Chairman.
Mishory previously worked at the CFTC under Brian Quintenz.
Court rules prediction market Kalshi’s US election bets are legal
