Judicial Watch Sues New York State for Records on Controversial Killing of ‘Peanut the Squirrel’ and ‘Fred the Raccoon’

(Washington, DC) – 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. The first, filed on November 6, 2024, seeks:

All New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) records related to the seizure, testing, and euthanasia of animals, including a squirrel named “Peanut” and a raccoon named “Fred,” belonging to a Pine City, New York resident named Mark Longo on or about Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2024. Such records shall include, but not be limited to, complaints filed with NYSDEC, internal NYSDEC communications, including emails and text messages, communications between NYSDEC and the Chemung County Department of Health, investigative reports, incident reports and laboratory reports.  

The second, filed on November 6, 2024, seeks:

 All body-worn camera audio and video footage, and dashcam audio-video footage, captured by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and its partner agencies related to the seizure, testing and euthanasia of animals, including a squirrel named “Peanut” and a raccoon named “Fred,” belonging to a Pine City, NY resident named Mark Longo on or about Oct.30-Nov. 1, 2024.

Since November, the New York state agency has granted itself two 30-day extensions and then a 60-day extension to respond to Judicial Watch’s request.  

Ten government agents from the state departments of Environmental Conservation and Health reportedly showed up at Longo’s home, where he operates an animal sanctuary, and took his squirrel and raccoon, later euthanizing them. “They treated me like I was a terrorist. They treated this raid as if I was a drug dealer. They ransacked my house for five hours,” Longo told the New York Post that Peanut the squirrel, also known as P’Nut, was popular on social media.

The event sparked public outrage. 

“The heartless killing of ‘Peanut the Squirrel’ by New York State bureaucrats shocked America,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “And now these same bureaucrats don’t want to turn over one document about Peanut’s death and their abusive raid on Peanut’s home. Judicial Watch’s lawsuit aims to get to the bottom of this abuse of government power.”

Judicial Watch is being assisted by attorney Ethan Leonard of  the Law Offices of Neal Brickman, P.C.

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