But why was Al O'Donnell so willing to spill the beans? Surely he knew the dangers of talking about this stuff.
The O’Donnell situation requires the full context to understand.
George Knapp works his sources and gets them to trust him. Part of that is George keeps his word—when he says he won’t release a name he has a proven track record of honoring that pledge.
Part of it is that Knapp is a Nevada journalist institution—not just a fly by night reporter or book-writer or hobbyist who is just passing through.
We see so little of true outstanding journalism these days we have forgotten how it is done by the experts—hard work, decades of developing and maintaining trust with sources, and true local connections and contacts.
People in Nevada want to talk to George Knapp—because he respects what they do and treats them well—year after year after year.