One big problem is the timing of all of this. In a typical government job, you could stab a co-worker to death, and management will sit around for three months

One big problem is the timing of all of this. In a typical government job, you could stab a co-worker to death, and management will sit around for three months mulling what to do about it. In this case, it sounds like they told her to make a change, she said she disagreed but made the change anyway. And then they fired her? For what? This just doesn't ring true. The coverup idea doesn't make much sense either. Apparently the "deleted" data was minor detail that would be published in a day or two anyway. Is it even material? Would anyone even be looking at it, aside from this scandal? Also sounds off. My guess is that (right or wrong), she was already on someone's shitlist, and this was the last straw. The "my successors will be liars" thing certainly wouldn't make me want to work with her. There will be an investigation, as there should be. I suspect there's little or no fire.