Kaboomstocks is in RI so my guess is Ed paid them himself since that's where he is from. Never heard of that other promoter.
My guess is this halt goes well beyond the failure to file reports. There's that National Lampoon connection, hiring brokers who got fired from other firms, and those ads seeking boiler room brokers in Boca Raton. Also the paid stock promoter hype.
Maybe that reporter knows more about what's going on. Sounds like Ed didn't give him the full story.