Afraid of ID PC with an ID congresscritter breathing down your neck. There was ample documented justification for his firing over the mishandling of artifacts. You saw the quotes, "I’d be run out of that town" for actions like his.
What did Sternberg do?
Pulled the ID card when it came time to be renewed and he didn't have a sponsor keep the higher status?
I'm really noticing a trend of the total lack of personal responsibility these IDers have. Nothing's their fault, it's all persecution, the SI sent in the black helicopters after me! This crowd seems to have a good supply of tin foil.
That is paranoia since no congresscritter was breathing down anyone's neck. Sternberg eventually went to the executive department(OSC) for relief. Congress got involved evidently over a year after the emails and issued the report in Dec. 2006.
I also read the rest of the email traffic. I just reread 205, but I don’t see any basis for terminating his appt based on this sort of activity, suppose we call him on the phone and verbally ask him to do the right thing and resign?
The date stamp indicates that this email was prior to the "run out of that town" one and, in fact, Sternberg essentially confirms that the "run out of that town" tactic was tried.
The ID card, as you refer to it, or complaint of unfair treatment which it is, was "pulled" in 2004. The renewal came just recently.