From Temporary Operatives to Permanent Staff: Key DOGE Members Secure Full-Time Government Roles

The initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, spearheaded by figures associated with Elon Musk, has marked a significant turning point. What began as a temporary assignment for a select group of individuals, intended to last just 130 days under a special government employee classification, has evolved into a more permanent fixture within the federal bureaucracy. Despite public statements from Elon Musk suggesting a reduced role for himself within the initiative, core members of the early DOGE team have officially transitioned into full-time government employment, signaling a deeper, long-term commitment to their work inside federal agencies.

Documentation reviewed by WIRED confirms that at least three of these early operatives and key lieutenants in the government efficiency drive – Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, and Ethan Shaotran – have had their employment designations at the General Services Administration (GSA) converted from the restricted special government employee (SGE) classification to full-time status. This change removes the 130-day time limit that initially governed their tenure, allowing them to embed themselves more deeply within the government structure.

Edward Coristine, notably known online by the moniker “Big Balls,” and Luke Farritor were converted to full-time employees on May 31. Ethan Shaotran’s conversion occurred earlier, on April 10. Coristine’s background includes prior work for a telecommunications firm reportedly known for hiring former blackhat hackers, a detail that highlights the unconventional profiles of some individuals brought into the DOGE initiative.

The Origins of DOGE and Its Early Operatives

WIRED first brought the involvement of Coristine, Farritor, and Shaotran with Musk’s DOGE to public attention in early February. Their arrival marked a new phase in efforts to streamline government operations, characterized by bringing in individuals from outside traditional government career paths, often with strong ties to the technology sector and, specifically, to Elon Musk’s various ventures.

Before joining DOGE, all three individuals had connections to companies founded or led by Musk. Luke Farritor had interned at SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company. Edward Coristine had a brief three-month stint working at Neuralink, Musk’s neurotechnology company. Ethan Shaotran participated in an xAI hackathon in October of the previous year, linking him to Musk’s artificial intelligence endeavor. These connections underscore the pipeline through which talent was apparently identified and recruited for the initial DOGE team.

The initial classification as special government employees allowed these individuals to work in government for a limited period, typically to provide specific expertise or support on particular projects. The 130-day limit is designed to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that temporary advisers do not become permanent fixtures without undergoing the standard hiring processes and scrutiny applied to career civil servants. The conversion to full-time status bypasses this temporary limitation, integrating them into the permanent workforce.

Unprecedented Access and Influence

Since their arrival in January, Coristine, Farritor, and Shaotran have reportedly gained extensive access to a wide array of federal agencies, far beyond just the GSA, where they are officially housed. This access includes sensitive departments such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, among many others. The breadth of their access highlights the significant trust and mandate they were given under the DOGE initiative.

Their involvement has not been limited to observation; they have been tied to significant proposed changes within the federal government apparatus. Luke Farritor, for instance, was reportedly closely linked to discussions and initiatives surrounding the potential dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, and any significant changes to its structure or mission would have global implications. This connection suggests the level of influence and the scope of the projects the DOGE team has been involved in.

Edward Coristine has reportedly been one of the leaders of an initiative related to President Donald Trump’s proposed “gold card” visas. This concept, reportedly involving the sale of visas for $5 million, represents a significant policy proposal with potential economic and immigration impacts. Coristine’s leadership role in this area further illustrates the high-level and politically sensitive nature of the work undertaken by DOGE members.

The conversion to full-time employee status at the GSA raises questions about the scope of their continued access to other federal agencies. While their primary employment is now anchored at GSA, it is not immediately clear whether this new designation affects their ability to maintain the broad access they previously held across dozens of government departments. The nature of their roles as “senior advisers,” a title they reportedly maintain, might suggest a mandate that extends beyond the confines of a single agency, but the specifics of their cross-agency authority under their new status remain to be fully clarified.

Compensation and Status: High Salaries for Key Operatives

Beyond the change in employment classification, the conversion to full-time status has also brought significant changes to the compensation structure for these DOGE members. According to documentation viewed by WIRED, Edward Coristine and Luke Farritor are now drawing some of the largest salaries possible for government employees under the General Schedule (GS) ranking system. They have been assigned a salary grade of GS-15, which is one of the highest grades in the system, typically reserved for senior-level positions requiring extensive experience and responsibility. Ethan Shaotran is positioned one step below them at GS-14, also a high-level grade.

This stands in contrast to their previous status as special government employees. As WIRED reported in March, Coristine, Farritor, and Shaotran did not appear to be drawing salaries through the GSA during their initial period as SGEs. The transition to full-time employment at GS-15 and GS-14 levels represents a substantial increase in their formal compensation and signifies their integration into the standard government pay scale at a very senior tier.

The General Schedule is the primary system for white-collar federal employees, with grades ranging from GS-1 to GS-15. Each grade has ten steps, with salaries increasing at higher grades and steps. A GS-15 position typically commands a six-figure salary, varying based on locality pay. Achieving this level of compensation and seniority so quickly, particularly for individuals whose government experience began as temporary SGEs, underscores the unique nature of the DOGE initiative and the value placed on their contributions by the administration.

Another early DOGE operative, Kyle Schutt, has also reportedly seen changes in his employment classification, appearing to have shifted designations at least twice. However, recent documentation reportedly lists him as remaining a special government employee, suggesting that the full-time conversion is not universal across all initial DOGE members but is specifically applied to key figures like Coristine, Farritor, and Shaotran.

DOGE's Continued Momentum Despite Leadership Shifts

The conversion of these core members to full-time status occurs amidst reports of Elon Musk’s apparent departure or reduced involvement from the Trump administration and the DOGE initiative itself. However, the initiative shows no signs of slowing down. Last week, WIRED reported that there has been a renewed urgency for DOGE-style work across various government agencies.

Federal workers in agencies including the Office of Personnel Management, the US Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Interior have reportedly been asked to conduct rapid reviews and identify potential areas for slashing contracts, particularly those related to IT and human resources. This suggests that the core mission of DOGE – identifying inefficiencies and reducing government expenditure, often through aggressive contract review and potential termination – continues with vigor, even if the public face of the initiative is changing.

The continued activity is further evidenced by the ongoing engagement of the core team. Farritor and Coristine, alongside other members of Musk’s early DOGE team such as Sam Corcos and Gavin Kliger, have reportedly continued meeting with numerous departments in recent days. Furthermore, new affiliates associated with DOGE are reportedly being detailed to different agencies, indicating an expansion rather than a contraction of the initiative’s footprint within the government.

Reports also suggest that DOGE is actively recruiting new members. This recruitment drive, coupled with the conversion of key temporary staff to permanent roles and the continued push for efficiency reviews across agencies, paints a picture of an initiative that is embedding itself within the federal government for the long haul, aiming to enact significant, potentially disruptive, changes from within.

The Significance of the Transition

The transition of Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, and Ethan Shaotran from temporary special government employees to full-time, high-ranking civil servants is a development with multiple layers of significance. Firstly, it indicates a commitment from the administration to retain the expertise and drive brought by these individuals beyond the initial exploratory phase. The SGE classification is inherently temporary, designed for specific, limited engagements. Converting to full-time status signifies that their roles are now considered essential and ongoing components of the government’s operational structure.

Secondly, their placement at high GS levels (GS-14 and GS-15) underscores the perceived value of their skills and the level of responsibility they are expected to handle. These are not entry-level positions but roles typically occupied by seasoned professionals with years of government or relevant private-sector experience. Their rapid ascent to these grades reflects an accelerated integration process, likely facilitated by their unique mandate under the DOGE initiative.

Thirdly, the move solidifies the presence of individuals with strong ties to Elon Musk and his corporate ecosystem within the permanent government workforce. While Musk may be stepping back, his early operatives are now positioned to exert influence and drive change from within the established bureaucracy. This raises interesting questions about the intersection of private sector innovation, particularly from the tech world, and traditional government functions.

The fact that their employment is housed within the GSA is also noteworthy. The GSA is the federal government’s procurement and property management arm, responsible for managing buildings, supplies, and transportation, and overseeing federal acquisition policy. It plays a central role in government operations and spending. Placing key efficiency operatives within GSA could provide them with a strategic vantage point to influence procurement processes and operational standards across the government.

Implications for Government Efficiency and Structure

The continued work of DOGE, now bolstered by full-time staff in senior positions, suggests that the push for rapid government efficiency reforms will persist. The focus on reviewing and potentially slashing IT and HR contracts points to a strategy aimed at reducing operational costs and potentially modernizing or consolidating systems. IT contracts represent a significant portion of government spending, and HR processes are fundamental to the functioning of every agency. Targeting these areas could lead to substantial changes in how the government operates and manages its workforce and technology.

The narrative surrounding DOGE has often emphasized a desire to apply private-sector speed and efficiency metrics to government operations, which are often perceived as slow and bureaucratic. The individuals brought in, with their backgrounds in fast-paced tech environments, are presumably tasked with identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas of wasteful spending. Their conversion to full-time status provides them with the stability and authority needed to pursue these goals over a longer timeframe, potentially overcoming the inertia often associated with large government institutions.

However, the integration of individuals with non-traditional government backgrounds into permanent, high-level roles also raises important considerations regarding accountability, transparency, and the potential for conflicts of interest. Career civil servants undergo rigorous vetting and are bound by specific ethical guidelines and procedures designed to ensure impartiality and public trust. While the documentation confirms their conversion to standard employee classifications, the unique circumstances of their recruitment and initial mandate under DOGE may warrant continued scrutiny.

The active recruitment efforts by DOGE further indicate that this is not a winding-down operation but rather an evolving initiative seeking to expand its capacity and reach. As new affiliates are detailed to different agencies, the DOGE methodology and influence could spread, potentially leading to a more widespread adoption of their efficiency-focused approach across the federal landscape.

Looking Ahead

The official conversion of Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, and Ethan Shaotran to full-time government employees marks a critical phase for the Department of Government Efficiency. What began as a temporary experiment appears to be solidifying into a more permanent structure within the federal government. These individuals, with their unique backgrounds and connections, are now positioned to continue their work on efficiency initiatives, contract reviews, and potentially significant policy proposals like the “gold card” visas, from within the established system.

The implications of this transition are multifaceted. It signifies a deeper commitment to the DOGE mandate, provides stability and high-level compensation to its core operatives, and embeds individuals with strong ties to the tech sector and Elon Musk within the permanent bureaucracy. As DOGE continues its work, reportedly with renewed urgency and active recruitment, its impact on the structure, operations, and efficiency of the U.S. federal government will be a subject of ongoing observation and analysis.

The shift from temporary advisers to full-time staff underscores a strategic move to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of the efficiency drive initiated under the Trump administration with input from figures like Elon Musk. The coming months will likely reveal more about the specific projects these high-ranking, newly permanent employees will tackle and the extent to which they can reshape government operations from their positions within the GSA and their continued interactions across numerous federal agencies.

The story of DOGE and its operatives is a compelling narrative about the intersection of technology, private-sector influence, and government reform efforts. The conversion of key members to full-time status is not merely a bureaucratic formality but a significant development that solidifies their role and potential impact on the future of government efficiency.