Influencer Nick Shirley uncovered California fraud with help of DOGE’s ‘Big Balls’
YouTuber Nick Shirley's latest investigation into alleged California fraud utilized federal Medicaid data, which he says was accessed with assistance from Edward Coristine, formerly of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Coristine, known online as 'Big Balls,' advocated for greater public access to government data to help uncover fraud. The collaboration highlights growing intersections between online influencers, government efficiency initiatives, and narratives around immigration and public spending.
- ▪Edward Coristine, formerly of DOGE and now head of engineering for the White House National Design Studio, helped Nick Shirley access a large Medicaid spending dataset released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
- ▪The dataset, described as the largest in the department's history, was promoted as a tool for detecting large-scale fraud.
- ▪Shirley's previous investigations, including one alleging $100 million in Somali-run childcare fraud in Minnesota, have influenced immigration enforcement actions and were shared by political figures like Vice President JD Vance.
- ▪Coristine, an early DOGE hire with a background at Neuralink and a startup linked to black hat hackers, supports open-sourcing government data to enable independent fraud investigations.
- ▪Elon Musk awarded Shirley $100,000 in early 2026 for his reporting on welfare fraud, calling it a model for 'incentivized citizen journalism'.
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Metro Influencer Nick Shirley uncovered California fraud with help of DOGE’s ‘Big Balls’ By Daniel Farr Published April 29, 2026, 11:04 p.m. ET YouTuber Nick Shirley has linked his latest California fraud investigation to government data he says was obtained with help from Edward Coristine, the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) engineer better known online by the nickname “Big Balls.” Coristine no longer works for DOGE but remains in government as head of engineering for the White House National Design Studio. He appeared in a new YouTube interview with Shirley discussing alleged fraud findings and the use of federal spending data.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at California Post.
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