Somewhere better to be, Fani? Under fire Willis mysteriously SKIPS Fulton County DA debate leaving challenger awkwardly talking to an empty podium

Scandal-plagued Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was nowhere to be seen Sunday at the first Democrat Party debate as she tries to win re-election.

Willis has courted controversy while prosecuting the county's case against former President Donald Trump and scandal when it was revealed she had a past relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. 

Her conduct was examined during a series of sensational hearings, with Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ultimately slamming her for a 'tremendous lapse in judgment' and for acting in an 'unprofessional manner.'

She escaped with just a slap on the wrist, however, after McAfee dramatically ruled she could stay on the Trump election interference case if Wade removed himself.

It doesn't appear she's all that worried about the scandal affecting her re-election chances, as she skipped out on the party's first primary debate, with opponent Christian Wise Smith speaking to an empty podium.

Willis instead chose to co-host an annual 'self-care fair' for crime victims, despite early voting beginning Monday. 

Smith hammered Willis' decision to hire Wade on the Trump prosecution. 

'That issue is important to us in Fulton County and a lot of people across the country... but you have to do things differently.' 

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

Smith is no doubt hoping the no-show will help his chances, as a Fox 5 Atlanta poll shows Willis still dominating the race by 70 points.

Wade fronted the team of lawyers Willis assembled to prosecute the case since the previous president and 18 others were indicted in August, but their relationship led to concerns the couple could pursue financial gain through the proceedings. 

Willis, 53, has said she's 'not embarrassed' by the relationship and that efforts to 'slow down' the progress of the case against Trump by his defense team have been unsuccessful. 

'I don't feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed. Let's say it for the record - I'm not embarrassed by anything I've done,' she told CNN at a community event in College Park, Atlanta in late March.  

'I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, but that's not something that I find embarrassing in any way. 

'I know that I have not done anything that is illegal.' 

Referring to two months of hearings and court action over her romantic relationship, she added: '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.'

Her latest comments come as defense attorneys continue to press claims about her handling of a sprawling prosecution against the former president and current GOP presumptive nominee. 

Trump faces four felony indictments — including separate federal and state cases for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden. 

His team has fought to delay and dismiss the cases, arguing that political opponents are wrongly targeting him. 

Willis spoke days after a Georgia judge allowed attorneys for Trump's co-defendants to appeal his ruling that she could stay on the case after the withdrawal of Wade. 

That may allow defense attorneys to amplify allegations of impropriety between Wade and Willis.

Defense attorneys have alleged Willis hired Wade to profit from the Trump prosecution through their romantic relationship. 

Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove those claims but rebuked Willis for what he called a 'tremendous lapse in judgment.' 

Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor who's been following the case, criticized her comments in a post on X.

'If I were Fani Willis, I would simply not talk to the media at all at this point just out of an abundance of caution,' Kreis said.

In a 23-page ruling Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee slammed Willis for a 'tremendous lapse in judgment' and for acting in an 'unprofessional manner' but said she could stay on the case if Wade stepped down. 

He reasoned that not enough evidence had been shown to establish her romantic relationship with Wade amounted to an 'actual conflict of interest'.

Trump's lawyers slammed the decision to let Willis stay on the case and said they would pursue 'all legal options' in response. 

At a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina earlier in March, Trump went after Wade seizing on his lack of experience prosecuting crimes in Atlanta before being tapped to lead the election interference case, saying 'he never did that before.'

'But he did the other thing before that he did with Fani, he did plenty of that,' Trump added, referring to their romantic relations. 

'That's what he's good at I guess,' Trump said as the crowd laughed.