Justice for Peanut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon May Be Coming After All

The "murder" of internet sensations Peanut (or P’Nut) the squirrel and Fred the raccoon by New York state wildlife agents became a political flashpoint in the days leading up to the 2024 election, with the Trump campaign, Elon Musk and other notable conservative figures rallying around the creatures, highlighting it as another case of Big Government run amok. The owner said he was treated like a “terrorist” as agents conducted a five-hour raid on his home. All this because it’s illegal to keep such animals indoors. Now, however, justice may be coming for the creatures. 

Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) lawsuit against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for records about the seizure, testing and euthanizing of a squirrel named “Peanut” and a raccoon named “Fred” belonging to Pine City, New York, resident Mark Longo (Judicial Watch Inc. v Sean Mahar, Interim Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (No. 902596-25)). 

Judicial Watch filed suit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Albany County, after the Department of Environmental Conservation failed to comply with two FOIL requests for written and video records related to Peanut and Fred. (Judicial Watch)