Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has some explaining to do. A popular staffer from DOGE, nicknamed “Big Balls” allegedly has gang ties. Edward “Big Balls” Coristine once provided technical support to a cybercrime gang that bragged about stealing confidential data and cyberstalking an FBI agent, according to digital records reviewed by Reuters.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by Elon Musk under the Trump administration, aims to streamline government operations and cut costs. While its goal is to modernize federal processes, the program has faced criticism. DOGE’s actions, such as canceling contracts with companies like CeLeen, LLC, and gaining access to social security databases, have sparked concerns about privatization and privacy issues. Some believe Musk’s involvement may favor his companies, SpaceX and Starlink, raising ethical questions. The initiative has led to significant disruptions, with both support and criticism over its methods and impacts on federal agencies.
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Who is Edward “Big Balls” Coristine?
Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, is a 19-year-old software engineering student, who gained notoriety due to his involvement with Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to corporate and digital records reviewed by Reuters and interviews with half a dozen former associates, beginning around 2022, while still in high school, Coristine ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services. Among its users was a website run by a ring of cybercriminals operating under the name “EGodly,” according to digital records preserved by the internet intelligence firm DomainTools and the online cybersecurity tool Any.Run.
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In 2023, EGodly admitted on its Telegram channel that it had broken into email accounts of law enforcement in Eastern Europe and Latin America. And early in the year, they doxxed an FBI agent who was investigating them. The group leaked his personal information, including his phone number and photos of his house. The group has also been known to pull malicious pranks like swatting, which involves prank calls to the police that result in SWAT teams raiding the houses of unsuspecting people.