Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor leading a 2020 election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies, skipped a debate over the weekend.
Her challenger for the Democratic Party’s nomination, attorney Christian Wise Smith, instead faced off against an empty podium at the Sunday event sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club.
Prior to the debate, a Willis campaign statement said the DA was not doing interviews about “high-profile cases” that her office is prosecuting, including the election case and the YSL trial involving Atlanta rapper Young Thug, ahead of the May 21 primary.
Fani Willis skips DA debate.
“Fani declined to participate in the debate and is represented by an empty podium.” pic.twitter.com/9MK24gRE5g
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 29, 2024
“We understand that she cannot insist that panelists and her opponent avoid certain subjects, and consequently, her participation means likely repeatedly being unable to respond to questions, as well as risking saying something that defense counsel could make an issue in ongoing litigation,” the statement said.
A recent poll conducted by political consultant Fred Hicks found Willis leading with 79% support compared to 9% for Wise Smith, indicating that the romance controversy related to the DA’s now-former special prosecutor Nathan Wade is not endangering her re-election prospects, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Wise Smith, who previously lost to Willis in a 2020 matchup for the DA role, challenged the incumbent to a debate rematch. “There is no reason we can’t reschedule the debate,” Smith said in a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. “We are happy to work with her team to do it.”
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Courtney Kramer, a lawyer whose biography says she interned in the Office of the White House Counsel under Trump, is running for the DA position as a Republican.
A judge allowed Willis to press forward with her election case in March after her special prosecutor, Wade, resigned amid concerns about a romantic relationship between the two. The other option was for Willis herself to step down. Willis requested that an appeals court uphold the ruling after the defense sought a review.
Trump and 18 co-defendants pleaded not guilty in the Georgia case, though four have since taken plea deals. The former president, who is seeking a second White House term, has broadly denied wrongdoing across multiple cases and claimed that prosecutors are engaged in a politically motivated “witch hunt” against him.
