The legacy of P’Nut the Squirrel continues on — all the way to the country’s highest court.
Justice Neil Gorsuch gave a shout-out to the furry social media star seized and euthanized by New York state officials in his keynote speech at the Federalist Society’s annual dinner on Thursday.
The Supreme Court justice name-dropped the late domesticated squirrel as an example of government overreach in everyday Americans’ lives, according to The Hill.
“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 at the powerful conservative group’s DC dinner.
“Yes, I’m speaking of P’Nut the squirrel,” he added to laughter and applause, the outlet reported.
The internet-famous P’Nut and his adopted brother Fred the Racoon were ripped from their Upstate New York home by state agents on Oct. 30, euthanized and decapitated to test for rabies — which neither had.
The animals’ untimely deaths crushed their human caretakers Mark and Danelia Longo, who had P’Nut for seven years, and outraged the public.
The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation had received four anonymous complaints about Longo keeping the wild animals in his home without a license — setting in motion a plan that ended in their slaughter.
The DEC reached out to Chemung County officials, who contacted the Health Department, which determined that the squirrel and raccoon should be tested for rabies. Rabies tests are conducted on brain tissue, which requires the euthanization and beheading of the animal.
The internal communications and timeline reviewed by The Post showed that the fate of P’Nut and Fred was sealed from the beginning — and contradicts the DEC’s claims that the rabies test was ordered after P’Nut bit a wildlife operator on the thumb.
P’Nut’s story grabbed national attention as outraged animal lovers called it an act of government overreach and bashed the state agency.
Gorsuch also used P’Nut’s parents’ side hustle on the adult site OnlyFans to make a joke in his speech.
He said there was “maybe a sordid side” of the late squirrel’s story, according to The Hill.
“[It] may contain a website that’s called ‘just for fans,’” Gorsuch said, butchering the website name.
“I don’t know the details. I’m not aware of any allegation that P’nut was involved in any of those acts.”
