Newsmax said that got the story from NPR.
But this is a sting, so it must be the opposite of that.
The Newsmax story you linked was not written by Ruddy. All it says is that NPR cites two sources. The Newsmax story never intimates who these sources are.
My link identifies the sources. One was Ruddy, who was interviewed by NPR. The other is an unnamed WH official who, it is claimed, confirmed Ruddy’s report.
It’s all consistent.