Fisker EVs Hired an IT Spy Who Funneled Millions to N. Korea's Missile Program

Case details and indictment

• Link to the DOJ indictment shows many US companies unknowingly hired North Korean IT workers using stolen/falsified identities.
• Coverage suggests an Arizona-based facilitator helped place hundreds of such workers and falsified verification documents.
• Commenters clarify that “millions” refers to total wages across many companies; Fisker itself paid ~$215k as “Company 6.”
• The thread notes that the workers appear to have been paid wages rather than directly “stealing” funds.

Remote work, RTO, and “rights”

• Some fear this case will be used as justification for stricter return-to-office (RTO) policies.
• Debate over whether RTO mandates are “unjust”:
  • One side: employers can change business needs; remote work isn’t a “right.”
  • Other side: changing a previously agreed remote role to mandatory in-office is viewed as a bait-and-switch and morally unjust, possibly akin to constructive dismissal.
• Philosophical discussion on rights:
  • Whether rights always imply obligations on others.
  • Distinction between natural, legal, positive, and negative rights.
  • Skepticism that “I have a right” is often just rhetoric for “I’m right.”

Contracts, at-will employment, and constructive dismissal

• In the US (outside Montana), employment is typically at-will; either side can end it absent a specific contract.
• Some argue RTO after hiring remote is a breach of the “deal” and should have legal remedies.
• Others counter that contracts can be terminated and that better social safety nets, not rigid employment guarantees, should provide stability.

IT security and hiring verification

• Example shared of a company accidentally hiring a North Korean remote engineer; suspicious network activity led to quick termination.
• This is cited by some as an argument for RTO or at least stronger in-person identity verification.
• Others argue robust security policies and monitoring, not office mandates, should address such risks.

Government support for EV companies

• Discussion of past US government loans to Fisker (old company) and Tesla:
  • Tesla repaid a large DOE loan early and benefited from EV tax credits and carbon credits.
  • Fisker’s earlier entity failed; the newer Fisker is essentially a fresh company reusing the name and logo.
• Debate over whether public money should be used for high-risk “investments” versus more concrete contracts.

Illegal immigration, employer liability, and I-9/E-Verify

• Extended debate on why US policy focuses on migrants rather than harshly penalizing employers of undocumented workers.
• Multiple points:
  • It is already illegal to hire unauthorized workers; employers must complete I-9 forms.
  • However, enforcement is weak, and fraudulent but superficially valid documents are common.
  • Employers are legally required not to discriminate and must accept a wide range of documents at face value, creating tension between anti-discrimination and immigration enforcement.
  • Some argue making employers strictly liable (with real enforcement) would greatly reduce illegal employment; others note political incentives to keep cheap, exploitable labor.
• E-Verify is raised as a proposed fix; commentary suggests politicians who rail about immigration often oppose making its use mandatory.

Economic motives behind RTO and immigration stances

• Competing explanations for RTO:
  • Security concerns like cases of foreign infiltrators.
  • Pressure from commercial real estate interests.
  • Executive power/control or culture preferences.
• On immigration, commenters argue anti-immigrant rhetoric is often performative:
  • Employers benefit from cheap labor.
  • Voters like cheap products (e.g., chicken) that rely on such labor.
  • Politicians gain by stoking outrage without seriously disrupting this economic arrangement.