Officials from the White House confirmed that a teenage employee known as “Big Ball” has resigned from his role in Government Efficiency (DOGE), amid a recent reorganization within the department.
The employee in question is Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old college student and software developer. He shared with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters last month that his nickname originated from a LinkedIn account.
Coristine mentioned, “I’ll use that as my LinkedIn username,” which brought laughter from the interview panel, including DOGE head Elon Musk.
He explained, “People on LinkedIn take themselves very seriously. They hate risk quite a bit, and I thought, ‘Well, I hope it’s not either of those things.’ I set it up, not really thinking anyone would notice,” sharing a light moment about the serious nature of social media platforms.
During the initial phase of DOGE, Coristine faced criticism from Democrats and liberal media for investigating wasteful and fraudulent spending within the federal government.
His role drew ire, particularly regarding young government officials having access to sensitive records in order to carry out DOGE’s mission.
In his interview with Watters, Coristine discussed his efforts investigating the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment system, highlighting numerous outgoing payments made by the federal government.
“One of our goals is to eliminate fraud and waste. We began by examining payment systems. There’s no clear accounting of what these payments actually are,” Coristine stated, referencing a particular figure of $20 million without clarity on its destination. “With most of these systems, it’s often like, ‘Well, we really don’t know.’”
He further emphasized that the taxpayer money distribution system, which “literally doesn’t have a check,” is a significant area of concern for fraud and waste.
Coristine’s resignation follows shortly after Musk’s exit from the department, with several other DOGE personnel also leaving.
Musk has been in charge of DOGE since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The department’s mandate includes trimming $2 trillion from the federal budget by cutting spending, streamlining programs, and reducing the workforce.
According to updates on DOGE’s website, while the target was ambitious, the agency managed to save about $180 billion through various measures like asset sales and contract cancellations, resulting in roughly $1,118 in savings for each taxpayer, the report noted.
