An empty podium will represent Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after her campaign declined to participate in a debate with her primary challenger, Christian Wise Smith, it was reported Monday.
The Atlanta Press Club will live stream more than nine hours for its Loudermilk-Young Debate Series on April 28, with the event originally scheduled to culminate with a debate between Willis and Wise Smith (pictured above).
However, the press club told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Willis declined to participate in the debate.
Debate rules published on the group’s website explain all candidates who qualify with the Georgia Secretary of State are invited to participate. Those who decline to appear in the debate are represented by an empty podium.
The AJC reported that an Atlanta Press Club spokeswoman confirmed that the rule remains in effect. Willis will be represented by an empty podium, and Wise Smith will “have an opportunity to respond to questions from a panel of journalists” without the incumbent.
In a statement to the outlet, Willis’ campaign claimed the Atlanta Press Club refused to accept the district attorney’s requests to limit questions about ongoing litigation.
“We understand that she cannot insist that panelists and her opponent avoid certain subjects,” the campaign reportedly revealed, claiming “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 campaign specifically pointed to Willis’ cases against former President Donald Trump and the alleged criminal enterprise Young Slime Life (YSL) in a statement to Atlanta News First.
“We are not doing interviews that include discussion of the substance of high-profile cases the office is prosecuting, particularly the election interference prosecution and the ongoing trial of alleged YSL defendants,” the campaign explained.
Willis recently appeared at the Cobb County Democratic Committee’s annual fundraising gala, where she referenced her testimony at a disqualification hearing in the Trump prosecution as she received the group’s Woman of Influence Award.
The district attorney rhetorically asked the crowd, “Don’t this dress look good y’all? That’s what happens when you keep cash in the house.”
An assistant district attorney to Willis recently had a shouting match with the judge overseeing the YSL case, as Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville threatened court on the weekends due to the alleged failure by Willis’ office to submit timely court filings.
The interview with Wise Smith will be live-streamed on Sunday at 6:45 p.m. and broadcast on WABE TV on May 1 at 4 p.m. Democratic voters in Fulton County will choose between Wise Smith and Willis on May 21.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Christian Wise Smith” by Christian Wise Smith.
