Gorsuch: Peanut the Squirrel Shows Overreach of Government
The New York Department of Conservation euthanized Peanut and Fred the Raccoon and confirmed both tested negative for rabies.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch used Peanut the Squirrel as an example of government overreach at the Federalist Society’s annual dinner.
“I’ve just seen too many cases like that. You have just the other day, some of you might have seen one in the newspaper, if the newspapers are to be believed,” Gorsuch told the crowd of conservative legal minds packed into the Washington Hilton’s ballroom.
“Yes, I’m speaking of P’nut the squirrel,” Gorsuch continued.
—
Gorsuch went on to joke there’s “maybe a sordid side” of P’nut’s tale, referencing reports that the squirrel’s owner has an OnlyFans account.
“[It] may contain a website that’s called ‘just for fans,’” Gorsuch said. “I don’t know the details. I’m not aware of any allegation that P’nut was involved in any of those acts.”
Hey, let’s not forget Fred the Raccoon!
Peanut enjoyed attention on social media for the past seven years thanks to his owners Mark and Daniela Longo.
Peanut and Fred became national news just before the election when the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) snatched them from their owners.
Four state agencies and a judge signed off on the warrant.
The Longos said the police treated them like criminals as they raided the house:
“Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us,” Longo told TMZ, with his wife by his side.
“It not only tears my family apart, but Peanut was the cornerstone of our non-profit animal rescue,” he added. “And ten to twelve DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom. I wasn’t even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I sat there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check her immigration status.”
An Instagram account dedicated to Peanut has over 565,000 followers. Asked why the DEC targeted him and his wife, Longo said they don’t “have a clue.”
“We have no idea who made the complaints. Again, Peanut was an indoor squirrel, not harming anybody. He’s been with us for seven years. Not a single complaint was ever filed,” he added.
It was never about rabies.
Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss admitted both animals tested negative for rabies.
The government marked them for death before the raid:
“Results are negative,” Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss told The Post Tuesday.
A newly revealed timeline shows state officials advised the county to euthanize the pets a full seven days before they were taken from their unofficial caretaker Mark Longo on Oct. 30 — even though the Department of Environmental Conservation later said the squirrel bit an agent during the raid, sparking the need for the test.
“Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies,” the State Department of Health wrote the county on Oct. 23 — a message that all but sealed the animals’ fates, as rabies tests require decapitation so subjects’ heads can be opened and their brains sampled.
Days later on Oct. 29 the DEC had laid their plans to raid Longo’s home, but the DEC was also already coordinating the animals’ euthanizations with Elmira Animal Control, the county’s timeline shows — directly contradicting their previous explanation that P’Nut had prompted his own euthanization.
“I’m in utter shock,” Longo told The Post when shown the timeline. “I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say ‘Wow.’”
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Monsters are real, but they look like people.
Porn actors keeping wild animals without the proper permits compounded by babysitting kids in the same house. Cry me a river.
Apparently the bootlicking thugs in New York aren’t just found at the DEC.
They’re also found at the NY State Health Department, Chemung County administration, and Elmira Animal Control.
None of them appear to be capable of any introspection or understanding the consequences of their actions. All they seem to be aware of is the display of state power.
I’m sure the involved thugs see no problem here, after all they were “just following orders”.
Jill Biden agrees that government overreach is a serious problem, “My husband was pushed aside, basically treated no better than Peanut the squirrel.”
It’s beside that point that the squirrel would’ve made a better president than her husband. However going with Kamala was a step down from Biden and the squirrel—so there’s that.
I named my new dog Fred
Epstein didn’t kill himself.
P’Nut was assassinated.
Biden voted for Trump.
The list grows.
The abuse of gov’t power in this instance is pretty simple; these public employees, armed agents of the State, decided to use power because they could. The solution is likewise very simple; drastically reduce the power of our public employees and vigorously remove those employees who can’t be trusted not to abuse the limited power they are entrusted with. We need a zero tolerance policy for abuses such as this. That means State Legislative action to remove qualified immunity. ‘I was following orders’ isn’t acceptable. When these agents face a real possibility of personal, financial and professional liability for misdeeds I suspect their actions will moderate as will the current unthinking application of bad regulation and bad organizational policy.
The death sentence was ordered by… a “Karen”…. yes her real name also. Too much power in the hands of small people.
This happened in ‘liberal’ New York State. Clearly what New York State is liberal about is the liberal use of state power to treat its citizens badly.
Two reasons their animals were killed: To scare away anybody else who might consider taking an orphan wild animal into their home, and to prevent the possibility that a challenge in court would force the government to return them. Basically, the whole exercise was a highly visible flexing of bureaucratic muscles to show how little the government cares about the rights and lives of either animals or citizens.
Two peasants were witnessed enjoying their lives without prior approval. This could not stand.
The case of Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon by the State of New York, are not dissimilar from what PETA does on a National scale, and they are notorious for this type of behavior.
There was a case not
Too long ago in which PETA sued this woman who owned a refuge for Chimpanzees (if I recall correctly)
PETA won and took possessions of the animals. The animals were either killed outright, or died in PETA’s custody, I forget which.
The organization is on record as against ownership of pets, and would rather see them dead than in the custody of human owners.
PETA is a disgusting organization.
Look up “petakillsanimals.com”
If you want to know more…
Leave a Comment