Fani Willis Skips Debate for Self-Care Fair Amid Controversy

Clear Facts

• Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis decided to host a “self-care fair” for crime victims instead of attending her first debate before early voting in the Democratic primary.
• Judge Scott McAfee previously criticized Willis for appointing her romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to work on the case against former President Donald Trump. Despite the controversy, Wade remains involved in Willis’ cases.
• Willis’ Democratic opponent, Christian Wise Smith, used the debate to criticize her decisions, particularly about Wade’s high pay rate and its potential impact on other cases.

In an unusual turn of events, Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, chose to spend her time hosting a “self-care fair” for crime victims rather than participate in her first debate leading up to the Democratic primary’s early voting.

In Willis’ absence, her Democratic opponent, Christian Wise Smith, was left debating an empty podium. This incident brought renewed attention to Willis’ controversial decision to appoint her romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to work on a high-profile case.

“When you pay one attorney nearly $1 million to handle one case, that leaves the rest of us vulnerable,” said Smith during the debate, indirectly referring to Wade. Smith was alluding to Willis’ decision to pay Wade a higher rate than the state’s top expert on racketeering, a fact that was revealed when their contract details became public.

“That hurts everyone in Fulton County,” Smith added.

It was established that Willis had granted Wade a contract at an hourly rate of $250, while Georgia’s top racketeering expert, John Floyd, earns only $200 per hour. Additional controversy arose when it was divulged that Willis’ office had also given contracts to Wade’s law partner.

“I worked in that office, and my salary was significantly less than what that attorney was paid,” Smith continued. “And I was responsible for handling a lot more cases than one.”

In March, Judge Scott McAfee expressed severe criticism of Willis’ actions, even though he did not comply with defendants’ request to disqualify her. Nonetheless, he insisted that Wade must step down.

During the debate, Smith did not claim he would drop the high-profile case if elected. Rather, he stressed Willis’ need to “do things differently.”

Contradictory statements about the timeline of Willis and Wade’s relationship sparked further controversy. While the pair claimed that their relationship began after Wade’s employment, a long-time friend of Willis testified otherwise.

Back in March, Judge McAfee mentioned that there were “reasonable questions” regarding the authenticity of Willis and Wade’s testimony about the timing of their relationship. The debate surrounding Willis’ actions and their implications on her campaign and her role as Fulton County District Attorney continues to attract attention.

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