Fani Willis’ DA opponent debates vacant podium after she skips event

Embattled Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis was a no-show for Fulton County’s first Democratic Party debate on Sunday, forcing her challenger to debate a vacant podium.

Willis skipped the event to co-host the second annual “Self Care Fair” with Atlanta City Councilwoman Andrea Boone in honor of Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

She also chose not to participate in the debate as she and her office continue to focus on prosecuting former President Donald Trump for 2020 election interference, according to Fox 5 Atlanta .

But that didn’t stop her opponent, Christian Wise Smith, from taking the stage anyway to call out Willis for her unprofessionalism in hiring her one-time romantic partner, Nathan Wade, as the special prosecutor on the Trump prosecution earlier this year.

Wade was forced to step down as special prosecutor following the revelation of his affair with Willis.

“That issue is important to us in Fulton County and a lot of people across the country,” Smith said while standing alone on the debate stage.

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Smith did not allude to the idea that Trump shouldn’t be prosecuted for alleged election interference but explained that Willis has “to do things differently.”

“When you pay one attorney nearly $1 million to handle one case, that leaves the rest of us vulnerable. That hurts everyone in Fulton County,” he said.

Though the scandalous DA did not show up for the debate — despite early voting starting Monday — a Fox 5 Atlanta poll has her leading the race by a staggering 70 points.

The primary election for Democratic voters is set for May 21. The winner will face off against a Republican candidate in November.

Willis hired the Atlanta-based private attorney as a special prosecutor in the case against Trump and 18 of his associates over their alleged actions following the 2020 election.

His contract started on Nov. 1, 2021, with Wade filing for divorce from his wife of 26 years, Joycelyn Wade, the following day.

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Both lawyers captured headlines nationwide when Trump co-defendant Mike Roman disclosed details about their relationship in a bombshell court filing in January.

Roman then requested that Willis be removed from the case over the alleged wrongdoing.

However, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled last month that the evidence of their misconduct was enough cause for either Willis or Wade to step down from the Trump election interference case.

“The court finds the allegations and evidence legally insufficient to support a finding of an actual conflict of interest,” McAfee wrote in his ruling.

Willis remained in her position, but Wade was forced to resign as special prosecutor.

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Both Willis and Wade have admitted to having their questionable affair.

Still, they maintained under oath that the relationship only became official in 2022 after they had already brought the case against the former president and 18 others.

Although both denied being lovers before Wade was put on the case, witnesses testified that their romance was underway before 2022.

Last month, Willis said she was “not embarrassed” by months of court proceedings over her romantic relationship with Wade.

“I’m not embarrassed by anything I’ve done. I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, but that’s not something I find embarrassing in any way. And I know that I have not done anything that’s illegal,” she told CNN.

Throughout the more than two months of hearings and court proceedings which debated their relationship Willis explained her office had still been preparing its case against Trump.

“While that was going on, we were writing responsive briefs, we were still doing the case in a way that it needed to be done. I don’t feel like we’ve been slowed down at all. I do think there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming,” Willis said.

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