Senate Session Highlights Turmoil Over Militia Review

Villore – Controversy over the review into the Federal Defense Union administration emerged today at an open senate session in Villore, where topics included the Defense Committee's review and the Federal Navy liaison office's parallel investigation.

Various senators found the Federal Navy involvement in the review ‘highly inappropriate’ branding it as a step towards military oversight of civilian government operations. Other political blocs in the senate, including Senator Chermoul himself, argued the Navy had equal authority to conduct their own investigations, which they stressed were independent of the senate Defense Committee's.

The Senator stressed that the review was nothing like oversight on the Navy's part and they would simply compare findings with the senate's committee. He also pointed out that operational charters permitted independent investigations by the Federation Navy into such matters. "As far as it goes," concluded Seator Chermoul, "this seems to render any protest against their investigation moot."

Captain Jaxon Harner, liaison officer to the Senate’s Military Oversight department for the Federation Navy, was recently reprimanded for his comments about potential Navy authority over the militia, and suspended from his position. "His speculation was outrageous," said Shevan Marr, pro-CONCORD analyst with The Scope. "No empire military should have that kind of authority over the militias. If this were to happen it would push the empires back to the forefront of war; something the emergency militia act was intended to avoid."

Meanwhile, sources inside the Military Oversight department have indicated a split between committee members over unknown factors. The committee itself has declined to directly confirm this speculation.