Bill Griffeth Conspiracy Theories: CNBC's Allen Wastler Sets The Record Straight

Can a reporter go off the air without going rogue?

Apparently not, say the conspiracy theorists. If they're to be believed, Bill Griffeth left CNBC to recover from a mysterious illness, to avoid being pushed out, or to train for a spot on ABC's (NYSE: DIS) Dancing With The Stars.

But the truth is that Griffeth (who recently returned to the network) simply wanted to take some time off.

“When a TV personality suddenly goes off the air, the rumors just fly around,” Allen Wastler, Managing Editor at CNBC.com, told Benzinga during a recent interview.

Full Interview: Allen Wastler, Managing Editor of CNBC - At the Forefront of the News

“Bill did his darndest to make it clear that he just wanted to have a little time off,” Wastler insists. “So there were some conspiracy theories out there. Well, now I have a big raspberry to them all, because Bill's back on the air in the afternoons on CNBC.”

“Sometimes,” Wastler adds, “when you tell people the truth, they don't want to hear it, but that's the way it is. So Bill's back. We're glad to have him back. He's a big contributor to the network and a very good voice to have in volatile financial times.”

To hear more from CNBC's Managing Editor – including his comments on CNBC's deep-dive report into the world of marijuana (a $40 billion industry!) – don't miss Benzinga's full interview with Allen Wastler.