The question is why the NCSE was mad, and that's well established. He let a substandard paper by one of his friends into the journal by circumventing the normal peer review process. Falsely claiming anonymous review doesn't help. This made the scientists in the society, many of them SI members and associates themselves, quite mad, because what's in the journal reflects upon them and their reputations. And there's your connection between the journal and the SI too.
Still waiting for any action SI took that could give him this persecuted status. Without it there isn't any case in the first place, nothing really to discuss.
I've given that to you several times. It is in the OSC letter.
INTOLERANCE AND THE POLITICIZATION OF SCIENCE AT THE SMITHSONIAN
A CHRONOLOGY OF RETALIATION
1. EVIDENCE OF HARASSMENT AND A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT...
2. EVIDENCE OF AN INTENT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SCIENTISTS BASED ON THEIR OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES REGARDING EVOLUTION...
3. EVIDENCE OF HOSTILITY BASED ON ANTI-RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS...
4. EVIDENCE OF A CAMPAIGN TO SMEAR DR. STERNBERG BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS...
You may be blind to all of the activity indicated in the emails, but it is reasonable evidence of the plot to deprive Sternberg of his position at the institute. In fact, his position was downgraded and it is plainly apparent that the downgrade was a response to the plotting, so indicated in the letter provided by the OSC. And once more, NCSE HAD NO BUSINESS CONTACTING THE SMITHSONIAN IN ANY FASHION OVER STERNBERG.