Bingowings said:
I did suggest earlier that Separatists initially didn't want to be separate but were conned into shady actions which led to them becoming ostracised as rogue states.
^This.
I'm all for making the Neimodians more like victims who were simply exploited in the first film, and in Episode 2 are part of the good fight. Though the republic don't believe them due to their track record.