I didn’t realize until watching the TPM extras again that this is taking place right outside Senator Palpatine’s apartment! I always thought they were meeting at some other location where they were not likely to be seen or noticed. You can even see in the documentary that it’s part of the apartment set.

Either the building Palpatine lives in is really empty, or the neighbors take no notice of him skulking around in a black robe and being visited by creepy characters. Meanwhile, Chancellor Valorum probably can’t go out for coffee without baseless charges of corruption being lobbed at him.

I can almost buy that Chancellor Palpatine has time to sneak off to a broom closet or something to put the robe on and give orders to his minions via hologram, but this is pushing it. 😛