Leaks Defy Gavrisom Administration

Senate Rotunda, Coruscant — The administration of Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom has, in recent weeks, become porous with leaks of sensitive information often in defiance of Gavrisom's policies. Senator Borsk Fey'lya (Bothawui), the Chairman of the Senate Justice Council and the administration's chief disciplinarian, today called on members to cease disclosing such information, and threatened those who are caught doing so with "the full force of the New Republic courts."

The most recent leaks came this morning from Senator Orion Karath (Corellia), the recently removed Chairman of the Senate Defense Council whose disagreements with Gavrisom have become infamous as the Chief of State advances his "Peace First" agenda, which includes proposals to streamline the New Republic's armed forces. Senator Karath today released a Defense Council report which refers to Gavrisom's proposals as "unnecessary and dangerous," and "ill advised."

Karath's report, which refers to the Chief of State's proposal—hyperbolically—as "universal defense elimination," also argues that "there seems to be no consideration of the economic impact such a move would have. Not only would military personnel be out of a job, but civilians as well." It also criticized the premise of the "Peace First" agenda; that the Pellaeon/Gavrisom Treaty (which ended hostilities with the Imperial Remnant) justifies a reduction in military forces.

"Any sort of cutback will be [severely] damaging to our capability to provide an effective, if present, defense," the report went on, "Just because the Remnant has come to peace with us, does not mean that others have. There are several rogue warlords still at war with us. There are still countless independent worlds and systems, to which we have not been the kindest, that are still out there. And then there is the unknown." The report, authored by Chairman Karath, was scheduled for final approval by the Defense Council when his replacement, Chairman Behn Kihl Nahm (Cerea), cancelled the vote and endorsed Gavrisom's proposals instead.

Senator Artemis Vanden (Naboo), also a supporter of the "Peace First" agenda, referred to Karath's findings as "scare tactics," and the public release of his report as "unfortunate" and "irresponsible."

The Gavrisom administration has also, in recent weeks, been plagued with a number of leaks relating to the Bimmiel Incident, in which a New Republic gunship and its crew were captured by the Imperial Remnant for allegedly violating its space, and later exchanged for the release of former Star Destroyer captain and war criminal Gordon Holt. It was leaked, for instance, that the Defense Council was not briefed on Chief of State Gavrisom's negotiations with the Remnant, resulting in Senator Karath being fined 100,000 credits by the Senate Corruption Panel for the disclosure of sensitive information.

An anonymous source within the administration has also leaked to The Coruscant Journal the contents of a New Republic Intelligence (NRI) report on the Bimmiel Incident, which concludes the Republic's gunship was not at fault for the event, contrary to Gavrisom's reasoning in releasing Holt.

While leaks occur in every administration, they have become conspicuous in Gavrisom's tenure and particularly common to defense issues, where the Chief of State faces the strongest opposition. Fey'lya announced today that he has had enough. "If the disclosure of classified or sensitive materials continues," he said in today's statement, "the administration will ask the courts to investigate and prosecute these matters, and seek the maximum penalty in doing so."