What to know about ZYN, the nicotine substitute going viral and facing scrutiny

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

In this photo illustration, ZYN nicotine cases and pouches are seen on a table, Jan. 29, 2024, in New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A type of nicotine pouches designed for adults is facing scrutiny on Capitol Hill, while also exploding in popularity online and among young people.

The pouches, sold under the brand name ZYN, have long been popular in Europe, but are now taking hold in the United States with the help of so-called “Zynfluencers” on social media.

The hashtag #ZYN has amassed more than 700 million views on TikTok alone. With their popularity on social media, the pouches have gained the attention of Gen-Z, some of whom are under the age of 18.

Here are three things to know about the pouches, and the controversy:

1. ZYN is marketed as a tobacco-free alternative to smoking

ZYN is manufactured by Swedish Match, a Stockholm-based company. The parent company of Swedish Match is Philip Morris International, which is headquartered in Connecticut.

The product is a small pouch that you place between your upper lip and gum for “up to one hour,” according to the company’s website.

The pouches come in flavors ranging from cinnamon and citrus to coffee and peppermint.

Swedish Match describes ZYN as an “alternative to smoking or dipping,” noting on its website, “For those consumers concerned about the health effects of smoking or dipping, the best thing to do is quit.”

ZYN pouches contain nicotine, the addictive product used in cigarettes, cigars and most e-cigarettes.

The health risks of using nicotine include everything from increased blood pressure to increased heart rate, increased heart attack risk and a narrowing of the arteries, research shows.

According to Swedish Match, ZYN pouches are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to come with a warning that notes the product contains nicotine and that nicotine is “an addictive chemical.”

2. Medical experts say it’s too early to know the impact of nicotine pouches on kids

While ZYN pouches contain a smaller amount of nicotine compared to traditional cigarettes, medical experts say nicotine-containing products are a health risk for young people under the age of 18, in particular.

Consuming nicotine in high amounts can put young people at risk of acute nicotine toxicity, which can cause agitation, a fast heart rate and vomiting, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prolonged nicotine use can also increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.

Nicotine exposure can hinder brain development in adolescents and young adults, which can continue into the mid-20s, the CDC says.

“If you take kids that are in their teenage years, and you make them lifelong users, four or five decades later, I don’t know what the health consequences would be,” Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Lung Association, told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

Philip Morris International told GMA in a statement that the company is “focused on” preventing young people under the age of 21 from using its products.

“ZYN is designed for adults aged 21 or older who are currently using nicotine products and wish to continue using nicotine,” the company said in a statement. “Our marketing practices — which prohibit the use of social media influencers — are focused on preventing underage access and set the benchmark for the industry.”

3. Legislators are calling for a crackdown

Amid the rise in ZYN’s popularity, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for federal action to regulate nicotine when it comes to marketing the product to kids.

Last week, Schumer, a Democrat from New York, urged the FDA to investigate ZYN over its marketing practices.

“A simple search of social media for ZYN will generate an eye-popping amount of content,” Schumer said at a Jan. 21, press conference. “Most of you probably haven’t heard of it, but your kids probably have.”

“It’s a pouch packed with problems — high levels of nicotine,” said Schumer, who previously led the charge against vapes and e-cigarettes being marketed to children. “So today, I’m delivering a warning to parents, because these nicotine pouches seem to lock their sights on young kids — teenagers, and even lower — and then use the social media to hook ’em.”

According to the CDC, around 1 in every 100 high school students last year reported using nicotine pouches in the past 30 days.

If you or someone you know is struggling with nicotine addiction or other substance abuse or mental health concern, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call the National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Three dead, five in critical condition in Boise building collapse near airport

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(BOISE, Idaho) — Three people died and five were left in critical condition after a building under construction near the Boise, Idaho, airport collapsed Wednesday night, according to fire department officials.

“Tonight, there was a catastrophic collapse of a metal structure at a construction site. First responders found a hectic scene and worked to secure and rescue victims,” Division Chief of Operations Aaron Hummel said in a statement late Wednesday night. “The Boise Airport, City of Boise, and all first responders extend their deepest sympathies to those impacted.”

Three people died at the scene, and nine people were injured, officials said. Five of the injured were in critical condition late Wednesday night and were being treated in local hospitals, according to the fire department.

Authorities said the incident happened around 5:00 pm MT at a privately owned steel hangar under construction.

Emergency responders, including eight fire engines, three ladder trucks and a dozen ambulances, reported to the scene of the building collapse at W. Rickenbacker St. and Luke Street, officials said earlier in the evening.

Upon arrival, fire crews worked to stabilize the scene. Hoists were needed to rescue some of the injured, and some of the rescues were “challenging,” Hummel said at a press conference Wednesday night.

A crane at the scene was impacted, but it was unclear when or how the crane fell.

Jackson Jet Center said it was their “39,000 square-foot steel hangar under construction” that collapsed in the incident.

“Tonight, our hearts go out to everyone affected by this horrific event, especially those with loved ones on site when this tragedy occurred,” the company said in a statement. “We’re immensely grateful for the rapid and professional response of Boise Fire, Boise Police and Ada County Paramedics along with the expert care of our area hospitals.”

An airport official confirmed the building was on airport land but not a Boise Airport project. The airport itself was not impacted by the incident.

Hummel said everyone at the site was accounted for.

Idaho college murders: Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers request change of venue, outside jury pool

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

In this June 27, 2023, file photo, Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. (August Frank-Pool/Getty Images)

(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Arguing that a “fair and impartial jury cannot be found” in the area where four Idaho college students were killed in 2022, lawyers for the accused killer are asking that his capital murder trial be moved to a different location so it would be heard by jurors who have not been exposed to more than a year of news coverage about the case.

The “extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity, allegations” made about Bryan Kohberger, who stands accused of the killings, the “small size of the community, the salacious nature of the alleged crimes, and the severity of the charges” he faces makes pulling an unbiased group of local people impossible, his lawyer Anne Taylor said in a two-page filing filed Tuesday, posted to the public docket Wednesday.

Kohberger is charged with stabbing to death four University of Idaho students in November 2022 — a crime that has rocked the quiet Idaho college hamlet of Moscow and garnered international attention.

Because the crimes hit home for so many who might one day be tasked with deciding Kohberger’s fate, his lawyer argues simply enlarging the jury pool within Latah County “will not do anything to overcome that pervasive prejudicial publicity” since the local population is too small and close-knit “to avoid the bias in the community” toward their client — and so they need a jury from elsewhere, as well as moving the trial outside the area.

Prosecutors have signaled they do not agree — that the “national, if not international attention” the case has received makes moving it out of the county futile.

“It’s not Moscow. It’s not Latah County. It’s everywhere. So, I don’t think that a change of venue is going to solve any of these problems,” Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, leading the case against Kohberger, said at a pretrial hearing Friday when the issue was raised. “I have people, friends in this community who have traveled to Mexico. And they say, ‘You’re from Moscow?’ And immediately, they want to talk about this case.”

“Just because it’s a horrific crime doesn’t mean a local juror who may have heard about it can’t be fair-minded about the facts before them – or that they’re going to be motivated to convict the wrong person,” said Matt Murphy, a former prosecutor in Orange County, California and an ABC News legal contributor. “They’re arguably all the more motivated to find the right person. When you’re talking about brutal murder – getting it wrong means the real killer may still be a danger to their families and their neighborhoods.”

“The way the right is written is — a jury of your peers — and while it’s right to consider in high-profile cases like this, because it’s so high-profile, moving it to another Idaho county won’t necessarily help,” David Calviello, former New Jersey prosecutor who is now a criminal defense attorney, told ABC News. “While it may be difficult to get a fair and impartial pool that’s not a reason itself to kick it.”

There’s a “very high bar” to clear for this change to be granted, Murphy said — and extensive attention to the case is not enough.

“Successful motions to change venue are exceedingly rare,” Murphy said. “Essentially, the defense has to establish that they cannot find 12 fair jurors in the current jurisdiction, which is a tall order. It’s not just that people have heard about the case, they must be fundamentally unable to follow the law and biased towards the defendant.”

In court on Friday, Thompson argued the local community offers a reason they “should” keep the case in Latah County — rather than grounds for moving it.

“We at least owe Latah County, the people of Latah County, the attempt to seat a jury here first. And not just rely on, ‘There’s been a lot of publicity.’ There’s been a lot of publicity everywhere,” Thompson said.

The prosecutor’s team has already drafted a “fairly comprehensive” juror questionnaire for parties’ review, Thompson said, “So that the court and counsel can assess the level of knowledge and the feelings of the potential jury pool.”

“We believe that we can select an appropriate panel of jurors from Latah County. We have the tools to work with that, that we’ve discussed with your honor,” he told the judge.

Prosecutors allege that in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, Kohberger, then a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University, broke into an off-campus home and stabbed four University of Idaho students to death: Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.

After a six-week hunt, police zeroed in on Kohberger as the suspect, arresting him in December 2022 at his family’s home in Pennsylvania. He was indicted in May and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. At his arraignment, he declined to offer a plea, so the judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted.

His lawyers have said their client wasn’t in the home where the homicides occurred and was driving around alone that night.

A trial date has not yet been set.

Prosecutors have been pushing to hold the trial this summer but in court Friday, Kohberger’s lawyer said they did not believe that timeline was “realistic in any way,” given the complexity of the case and the weighty potential sentence — especially if the trial remains local.

“If a trial were to happen in Latah County, we would suggest looking at summer 2025,” Taylor said in court. “There are a lot of things that we have to still do.”

US hits Houthi UAVs, ground control station in Yemen

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. military forces early Thursday morning conducted what Central Command called a “self-defense” strike against Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and a ground control station.

According to Centcom, the U.S. had identified a UAV ground control station and a number of UAVs in the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The military “determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region.”

As a result, Centcom said, U.S. forces hit the UAV station, destroying it. Ten one-way UAVs were struck in self-defense, it said.

“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” Centcom said in announcing the news.

As part of efforts to stop Iran-backed Houthi militants from attacking vital Middle Eastern shipping lanes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced earlier this month that the U.S. would once again classify the Yemeni rebel group as a terrorist organization. The State Department says the step will enable the U.S. to more effectively restrict the group’s access to financial support.

Blinken said that the restrictions and penalties linked to the designation would not take effect for 30 days and that the delay was designed to ensure the flow of aid and commercial goods to Yemeni civilians is minimally impacted.

There have been more than 150 rocket and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since mid-October carried out by Iranian-backed militias claiming they are in support of Palestinians in the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.

Former Presidents Obama, Clinton to support Biden at campaign event

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

In this Nov. 5, 2022, file photo, President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama embrace on stage during a rally in Philadelphia. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s campaign is planning a fundraising event with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, a source familiar with the planning told ABC News.

The event will take place in either March or April, the source said.

The Biden campaign declined to comment on this report.

Representatives for Obama and Clinton did not respond to ABC’s request for comment.

NBC News was the first to report the fundraiser’s details with the three presidents.

Children among nine injured in ‘corrosive substance’ attack in London

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — London police are investigating a “corrosive substance” attack that left nine people, including two young children, injured on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Detective Superintendent Alexander Castle said that a woman and her two young children were injured in the suspected, targeted attack. Three officers and three adult members of the public also sustained injuries after coming to the victims’ aid.

Police were called to Lessar Avenue, SW4 — near the Clapham neighborhood of South London — just before 7:30 PM local time when the woman and two children were injured by the “corrosive substance,” which is currently being tested, according to Castle.

“We will update as soon as we know more about their conditions,” Castle said in a release. “Three police officers have also been taken to hospital after they responded to the incident. Thankfully we believe their injuries to be minor.”

So far, no arrests have been made but police are investigating a man who was allegedly seen “fleeing the scene,” according to Castle.

“We are drawing on resources from across the Met to apprehend this individual and work is ongoing to determine what has led to this awful incident,” he said.

MET Police report that the National Police Air Service is assisting in the investigation. Authorities ask that any members of the public who can help provide information or material should call 999 in the United Kingdom immediately.

US officially blames Iran-backed group for drone strike, clearing way for retaliation

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

President Joe Biden receives the Presidential Daily Briefing, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in the White House Situation Room. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

(WASHINGTON) — Is the U.S. on the brink of war with Iran? Officials hope not. But how President Joe Biden responds to this weekend’s deadly attack on an American military base in Jordan could have far reaching implications in the region for years.

Experts say Biden’s goal is to rein in Iran-backed militia groups operating out of Iraq, Syria and Yemen without plunging the Middle East into war.

Here’s what to know:

The US officially pins blame on Islamic Resistance in Iraq

Soon after the drone attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members and wounded 40 more early on Sunday, Biden vowed that he’d hold those responsible and pinned the blame on Iranian-backed militants.

On Wednesday, the White House said U.S. intelligence was certain which militants were responsible.

Identifying the group responsible sets the stage for the attack, which officials say could happen at any time.

“We believe that the attack in Jordan was — was a plan resourced and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups, including Kataib Hezbollah,” White National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

He also said the response would involve multiple targets and that “the first thing you see won’t be the last thing.”

A U.S. official said Iranian assets outside of Iran could be targets, with most strikes inside Syria.

Another official told ABC News the attack would be carried out “over the course of several days” on facilities that enabled the drone strike.

On the determination that the drone attack in Jordan was facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a senior State Department official said the U.S. is continuing to develop its assessment and may still conclude that a specific group or specific groups within that umbrella played more a direct role.

While Iran has denied involvement, the senior State Department official said the U.S. has made clear to Iran since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, which sparked a war with Israel, that America will hold it responsible for the actions of its proxies.

Worries the US is acting too slowly

As the days ticked by since Sunday’s attack, military experts surmised that the U.S. was using its time to gather assets for a more significant and complex response than seen previously. But Republican critics were quick to say Biden was losing ground, giving the Iranians time to evacuate potential targets or move their own military assets.

Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. attack should have already happened by now and that Iran’s leadership and weapons caches should be hit directly.

“Every day that passes without a strong and unambiguous reprisal for the deaths of American service members invites our enemies – and allies – to question this administration’s resolve,” Wicker told ABC News in a statement.

‘A pretty big target list’

Retired Gen. Roger Abrams, a former combatant commander and an ABC News contributor, said the delay suggests to him that the U.S. response will be forceful and consequential and more widespread than recent strikes in the region.

“The longer it takes indicates to me that this is not going to be a little pinprick. A pinprick they could have done within six to 10 hours depending on available strike capability,” he said.

Instead, Abrams said there’s a “pretty big target list,” including command-and-control nodes, storage facilities, any transit route for weapons or even an Iranian intelligence ship on the Red Sea.

“If they’ve got a smoking gun on who actually flew this suicide drone into Tower 22, you can expect that that [command-and-control] network, the emitters where the nodes, where commands were coming from …those are all going to be fair game,” he said.

For its part, Iran has warned that its own response will be “decisive and immediate.”

“The U.S. should stop using the language of threats and pinning the blame on others and rather focus on a political solution. Iran’s response to threats will be decisive and immediate,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Triggering a retaliatory response from Iran and spurring a broader conflict is of obvious concern for the U.S, but experts and government officials say America must act.

“We’ve been trying to determine Iran’s red line for many years,” Abrams said. “And we haven’t found it.”

New Mexico officers will not be charged in fatal shooting while responding to wrong house

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Three New Mexico police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Robert Dotson while responding to the wrong home’s address will not be charged, according to a letter from the New Mexico Justice Department.

The shooting took place on April 5, 2023, when Farmington police officers, Daniel Estrada, Dylan Goodluck and Waylon Wasson, who were responding to a domestic violence call around 11:30 p.m. local time, mistakenly went to Dotson’s home — approaching house number 5305 instead of 5308, state police said, at the time.

Body camera footage released by the Farmington Police Department showed the officers knocking and announcing themselves several times, then debating whether they were at the right address after getting no response. As the officers were leaving, Dotson opened his screen door armed with a handgun. The officers opened fire, striking Dotson 12 times, according to a lawsuit filed by Dotson’s family in Sept. 2023. In court papers, the city and officers all deny wrongdoing.

Dotson was later pronounced dead at the scene.

After the initial shooting, Dotson’s wife, Kimberly, shot back at officers from the doorway, not knowing who had shot her husband, with officers returning fire, according to the lawsuit.

State police turned over their investigation into the shooting to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office in May 2023.

On Jan. 26, Deputy Attorney General Greer E. Staley said an export report proved responding officers did not use excessive force when they discharged their weapons and shot Dotson, due to the fact that both Dotson and his wife were armed. The report “recognized that the officers’ initial approach to the Dotson home, although they erroneously approached the wrong house, was reasonable, appropriate and consistent with generally accepted police practices.”

“I appreciate the AG’s office and their exhaustive look at this case. At the same time, this was extremely tragic, and I continue to say that I am extremely sorry for the Dotson family’s loss,” said Farmington Police Chief Steven Hebbe in a statement to ABC News.

In the wrongful death lawsuit, Dotson’s family sued the city of Farmington as well as the responding officers. The lawsuit alleged that the city failed to properly train the officers in use of force, and that the three officers “acted unreasonably” and “applied excessive, unnecessary force.” The suit also alleged they deprived Dotson, a father of two, of his state constitutional rights, including the right to enjoy life and liberty.

“Legally, he was deprived of his life and liberty. His heirs were deprived of his love, affection, income,” Doug Perrin, an attorney representing Dotson’s family, said in a statement to Albuquerque ABC affiliate KOAT-TV in Sept. 2023.

All three officers remained employed by the city of Farmington and returned to work after the April 5 shooting, Luis Robles, an attorney for the city of Farmington, confirmed to ABC News at the time.

North Carolina police looking for woman who made distressed call to 911 before she vanished

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(GREENSBORO, N.C.) — A 25-year-old mother made a distressed call to 911 before she vanished in Greensboro, North Carolina, and police are asking for the public’s help in locating her.

Marissa Carmichael was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Exxon on 809 East Market St. in Greensboro, according to police.

ABC News obtained a copy of a 911 call that Carmichael made to police from the Exxon gas station.

During the two-minute call, Carmichael, whose name is bleeped out when she identifies herself, appears distressed and asks for the non-emergency line.

She tells the 911 dispatcher that a man has asked her to pick up some things at the gas station but has driven off while she was inside and she has no way of getting home.

“I don’t know where I am in Greensboro. I just got all my stuff threw out the car, he took off with my phone. I have no clue where I’m at. I have no numbers,” Carmichael told the dispatcher.

Asked if she is hurt and needed an ambulance, Carmichael said “No, I’m not but I mean, like you told me to come into the store and grab some s— and like, took off on me and I don’t know where I’m at. I’m in the middle of Greensboro. He took my phone. I don’t have my phone.”

She does not provide a name for the man but refers to him as a “he.”

She is then asked what she is wearing so officers can identify her when they arrive.

“I’m wearing some blue jeans and a white shirt with some yellow sneakers,” she said, but added, “That’s not gonna help my problem though, ma’am. I’m stuck all the way in Greensboro and I don’t know where I’m at.”

“In order for me to get back home, I don’t have any of my contacts,” she said.

According to an incident report obtained by ABC News, when police arrived at the gas station Carmichael wasn’t there.

Asked if Carmichael has been located or if any foul play is suspected, a spokesperson for the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) told ABC News on Tuesday evening that “officers are actively attempting to locate Ms. Carmichael.”

“The investigation indicates Marissa Kay Carmichael was last seen at 3:46 a.m. Jan. 14 at the Exxon,” the spokesperson said.

“Detectives are continuing to actively pursue all leads in this case,” the spokesperson added. “Because this is an ongoing investigation, additional details are not being made public at this time.”

According to a missing persons report obtained by ABC News, Carmichael is a resident of High Point, North Carolina, which is approximately 25 minutes south of Greensboro and was reported missing on Sunday afternoon by Sara Kay Carmichael, who has identified herself to local media as Marissa’s mother.

Per the missing persons report, Sara Carmichael also provided the name of a man to police who she claims could be involved with her daughter.

“To maintain the integrity of this active investigation, certain specifics of the case – such as who has been interviewed – are not being released at this time,” a GPD spokesperson said.

According to the police advisory, Carmichael is described as a 5-foot-4 female and is approximately 260 pounds with long black and blonde braids.

She also has a heart tattoo on her face and a butterfly near her eye and was wearing a white Tweety Bird T-shirt, blue jeans, and yellow sneakers when she was last seen.

Police have posted multiple advisories on social media over the past two weeks urging the public for help in locating Carmichael. They ask anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis, prosecutor Nathan Wade subpoenaed to testify in upcoming misconduct hearing, per lawsuit

February 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, one of her top prosecutors in the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others, have been subpoenaed to testify at an upcoming evidentiary hearing set to examine allegations that they were involved in an improper relationship while investigating the former president, according to a new lawsuit filed in Georgia this week.

The claim that Willis and Wade had been subpoenaed to testify was contained in a copy of the lawsuit, obtained by ABC News, that was filed by the attorney for one of Trump’s co-defendants in the election case, accusing the Fulton County district attorney’s office of “intentionally withholding information.”

The lawsuit accuses the office of “stonewalling” the attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, in her efforts to obtain records from the office through public information requests.

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the DA’s office said they had not yet been served the lawsuit, and said, “We provided her with all the materials she requested and is entitled to.”

In a letter sent to Merchant on Friday, provided to ABC News by the DA’s office, the DA’s office pushed back on her allegations that they have failed to meet their obligations, writing they “disagree with your disingenuous implication.”

The issuing of the subpoenas could set up a high-stakes battle for both Willis and Wade, who have remained virtually silent on the issue but may now have to testify under oath during the televised hearing on Feb. 15, as Trump and other co-defendants seek to use the allegations to have the two removed from the case and the indictment thrown out.

That hearing was scheduled two weeks ago by the judge in the election case. The judge also ordered the office to file their response to the allegations in court by Feb. 2.

Merchant, the attorney for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, made the misconduct allegations against Willis earlier this month in a filing that seeks to dismiss the election interference indictment and disqualify Willis based on allegations that she “engaged in a personal, romantic relationship” with prosecutor Nathan Wade that allegedly resulted in financial gain for both of them.

Merchant’s new lawsuit accuses the DA’s office of “an apparent effort to intentionally stall” her continued effort to gather information on the matter.

“It is evidence that the [Fulton County District Attorney] has withheld the records without substantial justification,” the complaint stated. “Indeed, it appears that [Fulton County DA’s Office] is acting intentionally and in an effort to hide from public view public documents showing how [the office] has spent public monies related to the operation of the office.”

The 21-page complaint, reportedly filed in Fulton County Superior Court, accuses the office of violating the state’s Open Records Act. It outlines numerous open records requests Merchant submitted to the office — some dating back to September — that the suit claims were met with either no response, partial responses, or claims that the records did not exist.

In addition, approximately a dozen additional subpoenas have been issued by Merchant, in addition to those issued to Willis and Wade, seeking testimony or documents at the upcoming evidentiary hearing, according to copies of the subpoenas obtained by ABC News.

They include subpoenas to half a dozen employees at the Fulton County DA’s office requesting their testimony at the hearing next month.

Among them are Daysha Young, another top prosecutor on the election interference case, and Tia Green, who is listed as a deputy executive assistant to Willis on the county’s website.

It is not clear if all of the subpoenas have been served yet. According to the documents obtained by ABC News, they were sent by Merchant by mail on Jan. 25.

Merchant declined to comment to ABC News. A spokesperson for the DA’s office declined to comment on the subpoenas.

All of the subpoenas call for the witnesses to testify on behalf of the defense.

Additional subpoenas were also issued for documents ahead of the hearing. Among the other subpoenas, a company called “Vacation Express USA Corp” was issued a subpoena for any documents related to flights, hotels, or rental cars that were reserved in Wade or Willis’ name.

In her new lawsuit on Tuesday, Merchant’s says her requests to the office sought a slew of documents, including contract and invoice records related to Wade, as well as personnel information for attorneys hired by the DA’s office throughout Willis’ tenure, and vacation time requested by Willis.

According to the Fulton County government’s website, the county must produce responses to open records requests “within a reasonable amount of time not to exceed three business days.” In some instances when records are not available within three days, the site says, agencies can take longer if they provide a timeline and a description of any relevant records they have.

But in one instance, according to the lawsuit, a request seeking invoice records for Wade took months.

The request was first submitted in September, the lawsuit alleges, but was not acknowledged within the required three days. Merchant then followed up on the request several times, the complaint says, but the request was “prematurely closed” about two weeks later, despite the office “not providing numerous invoices and other documents.”

Merchant, according to the complaint, refiled the request multiple times. In January, months after the initial request, she was given contracts for John Floyd, a different special prosecutor on the case.

Days before the lawsuit was filed, Merchant said she was “finally” given some records in response to her request from nearly five months prior, though she claims “numerous documents were still outstanding.” Among the records she said were missing were invoices from Wade for July 2023 though December 2023.

Merchant claims the documents were in the possession of the DA’s office but were “intentionally withheld” because of her motion seeking to disqualify Wade and Willis from the election interference case.

Merchant’s complaint notes numerous other requests to which she was informed there were no records responsive to the request, though she believes otherwise.

Merchant said that in September, for example, she submitted a request seeking monthly reports on how the office spent the government-provided COVID-19 funds it received from the CARES Act. Merchant said she received a response that the office did not have any responsive records — even though, the lawsuit says, the office would be required by law to maintain records regarding use of CARES Act money.

In January, said the complaint, Merchant also requested personnel records that included a list of all attorneys hired since Willis became district attorney. Days later, the complaint alleges, Merchant received a message saying “no responsive records.”

The complain also said that Merchant failed to get a response to a Jan. 8 request for records of contracts that employees or staffers at the office “have been required to sign regarding speaking to the media and/or confidentiality.”

Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August to all charges in Willis’ sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.

Defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jena Ellis and Scott Hall subsequently took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.

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