November 8, 2024 • 33 mins
EXCLUSIVE VERONICA LIVE interview with Monica Keasler. She has been accused of calling the New York State Department of Environment Conservation Office to report the famous Tik Tok and Instagram squirrel named Peanut and the racoon Fred. Both of these wild animals had been domesticated and belonged to Mark Longo of the P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary and were living in his home. The adorable animals had millions of social media followers. Following the call, Mr. Longo’s home was raided by four New York agencies and Peanut and Fred were euthanized causing a worldwide uproar. The story has gone viral! Monica has received death threats, and several fake bomb packages have been sent to her home. Monica along with her Attorney Bill Price of the Price Law Firm, join VERONICA LIVE as their first exclusive media outlet to share Monica’s harrowing story of the blow back she has endured from this story and to provide actual proof from the NY State Office of Council for the Department of Environmental Conservation that states she is innocent and was not the person who called the complaint into the agency. Hear what she shares with me.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Veronica Live. And I actually have an exclusive today.
I am talking with Monica Keisler and her name literally
has gone viral across the country. She has been accused
of being the individual that called New York and complained
(00:22):
about a squirrel that is famous on TikTok that everybody's
been talking about Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon.
And what has gone down is that this call went
to New York. The New York agencies went bananas and
decided to send four agencies fifteen agents to Mark Longo's house.
(00:43):
And he's had this squirrel that was domesticated that he
rescued for seven years in his house that has one
million followers on Instagram and two million followers on TikTok.
The agencies in New York rated his house for hours.
They took the squirrel, Peanut and the raccoon that was
also domesticated and took them away. I guess with the
(01:07):
squirrel bit somebody. They said they had to put both
animals down, and a fury was born because these animals
became famous during COVID. And this is where we pick
up the story because I have Monica Keisler on the
line with me and then her lawyer, Bill Price from
the Price Law Firm, joining Veronica Live.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you so much for on account, I'm really glad
to be here today.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Thank you, Veronica, It's wonderful to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, Monica. Bill reached out to me. We've been longtime friends,
and he thought that this would be a great place
for you to tell your story. And seriously, you've become
the world's careen that nobody likes. And today, when I
was prepping for you to come on, I read all
of the news stories went out and saw all of
the social media and I can't imagine being as hated
(01:58):
as you are right now. And you wanted to tell
us your story. So take the you know I'm gonna
throw you the football. Tell us how this all started
with this squirrel gate and people saying that you made
this call about the squirrel.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, in the last few years that my twin boys
and I have followed the story of Peanut and Fred,
and because we also have rehabbed squirrels, and we found
such joy like the rest of the world and seeing
the videos of Peanut and Fred. And on Friday, when
(02:34):
we arrived home from our day. There was a notification
in a rehabber group that I'm a member of that
said there was a video to watch, and that was
where I learned of the reporting and the confiscating and
the ultimate euthanizing of those poor babies. And my boys
(02:57):
and I had a good cry and they went out
to and I kept scrolling on Facebook like people tend
to do, and saw a screenshot of a lady, a
lady's post from somewhere that I still don't know where
it came from, but it was posted in that group,
and shared of this lady saying that they were responsible
(03:20):
and they should have known better, and they knew that
they had animal wild animals illegally and that they were
monetizing them and that it was all wrong. And if
you knew me, if you'd known me before yesterday, and
if your listeners knew me, you would know that I
cannot stand to see somebody kicked when they're down. And
(03:44):
in the comments, someone was wondering who actually reported them,
and I simply commented, let's.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Let's let's let's stop right there for one second. I
hate to be the lawyer in the bunch, but let's
be careful that let's you know, I do my Monica, Veronica,
I apologize, but but you know I want I want
us to be careful, not to not to do what's
been done to you, Monica. So, Monica, why don't you
just tell her that you know we're about the letter
(04:15):
you got from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation yesterday?
You got you got a message from them? Did you
not exonerate you?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I sure did, because it was reported that I reported
Peanut and I did not. And I made a f
O I a a Freedom of Information Act request yesterday
and received it via email today that proves that I
was actually not in any way, shape or form involved
(04:46):
in reporting the longos or there or Peanut or Fred.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
We provided that to you, yes, and I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yes, I have it, so so it says here Internet
users that you wrote to them have alleged that I
was involved in the seizure of Peanut the squirrel and
Fred the raccoon, and I and my children have received
death threats. Please, I please need a letter of record
records clearing my name from any involvement in the seizure
(05:17):
of wildlife from a residence in Pine City, New York
on October thirtieth, twenty twenty four, and then they responded
back today this morning. Please be advised that a diligent
search of the files maintained by DC, which is the
depart New York's Department's Department of Environmental Conservation, produced no
(05:37):
responsive records. There are no records with your name nor
any mention of involvement by you relating to the seizure
of wildlife from a residence in Pine City, New York,
on October thirtieth, twenty twenty four, and then it.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Kind of closes us out. Your foil request is now closed.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So okay, wonderful. Now here's the thing, Veronica, I too
have done a Foyer request and it could take weeks.
I don't know if they'll get back to me as
quickly as they did to Monica. Thank god that Monica
did that and she got that. Yeah, she got the
evidence she needs to clear her name. But our Foyer
(06:17):
request is asking for the actual complaints and any information
related to them, because, honestly, Veronica, Monica does deserve to
know who did this and who the real culprit is,
and we're going to get to the bottom of that.
So I hate to interrupt and give y'all you know.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Well, and that was gonna be my next question, but
I just wanted to make sure people understood the story. So, so, Monica,
you saw this so on Facebook?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Is that where you were.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Accused of being the outer of this, you know, calling
this in and and I guess your picture was there too.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
My picture where I live, and within minutes my ad
dress and name and phone number were shared from the
appraisal district in my town. I mean it was awful.
I was I was dogged effectively.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
And I researched and I screenshoted so many these things
and people actually wish death upon you. I mean it
was pretty It's pretty awful, and you know, and what
do you do? So I'm so glad that you've partnered
with Bill, I will say. When I was preparing for
you to come on today, Mark Longo actually made a
video stating that he wanted people to stand down because
(07:35):
he didn't want somebody to be.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Accused of being the culprit.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And what you've experienced now, you know, going people going
after you. So do you do you know why somebody
would would if you've been rescuing. I mean, how many
years have you been doing this rescuing of squirrels?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, I just did it for a few years. I
haven't done it in about a year, okay.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
And so why do you think that they chose you,
of all people to try to crucify this.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
On because of a comment in a Facebook group that
I made.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And what was the comment?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
The comment, let's let's let's let's be careful about about
about you know, let's not name any names, let's not
be defamatory. So I just want to caution everybody that
we don't want to put ourselves in the position of
the bad people that are doing bad things to you,
and we certainly don't want to be So was the.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Comment, though, referring that it wasn't you, it was somebody else.
Is that what the comment was?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Well, let me let me both assure Bill and you
that I have maintained from the very beginning that I
was not going to name this person publicly because I
do not believe. I believe two wrongs do not make
a right. I am a Christian woman. I do not
believe in dragging her the way that I've been dragged.
(08:58):
That is not going to solve us. But the person
that outed me effectively did so because I suggested that
it was them that had reported the longo.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh okay, so they were it was just kind of
okay and yeah, and it was literally, Monica, you're you've
become famous, like people are pretending. I found a TikTok
where somebody said I'm Monica Keisler.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And I'm the one that did it, and then they're like, oh,
I'm just joking. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So, uh, your you're literally your name is everywhere, you know,
your pictures everywhere, breaking news that that you know that
you're running away now with this, you know, because people
are coming after you.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So uh well let's let's get.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Back, which I have not done, by the way.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Okay, yeah, So those are some of my questions. What
are some of the threats? I mean, people are emailing you,
I guess yesterday when we talked, you mentioned that the
post office has received things too. So, so, what has
happened to your family when you're not the person and
people think it's you that some of the terrible things
that have happened.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Well, I've had a NonStop barrage of text messages and
phone calls leaving me. I purposefully let my voicemail fill
up because I was tired of getting the messages. But
the text messages, which I responded to hundreds of on
Saturday were everything from telling me how horrible of a
(10:28):
person I am without even knowing me, I might add,
of course, to suggesting that I should be be headed
in front of my children, to death threats on my children.
I mean, it's been harrowing.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And are the FBI and your local law enforcement helping
you when somebody's threatening you? And because now you have
this document that exonerates you from this entire thing.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Well, when I tell you that God laid a path
for the situation for me, I mean it. I have
met so many incredible people just from responding to people
accusing me. Also, when I realized that things were spinning
out of control, I reached out to a detective that
lives in my neighborhood, and he had a detective and
(11:22):
an officer here as soon as I got home that
day to take a statement so that I would be
protected if anything did happen, that I that I would
be covered if anything did happen, And that same detective
handled the many deliveries I had to my front door
that first day and the second day, and so it's
(11:45):
it's it's been harrowing, like I said.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And you're the mother of two boys. Are they doing
okay with with all of this?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
They are, They're handling it pretty well. I think that
the coming months, as they mature, they will realize what actually.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Went on here.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But right now, being can they just know that we've
been home. They're out of school for the week, and
we've been home, and they you know, that's all they
We've gone. I have tried to keep their lives as
normal as possible. We've gone to their sports practices and
all of those things, so they they know, but they
don't know at the same time.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
And did you try to get this document to Mark
Mark Longo as well so he knows it's not you.
Have you been able to know the other side?
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
No, I have not.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
And we just got it though, so let's, uh, we
we can we can certainly make make that effort.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
And then did you did you know Mark Longo but
before this or you were just following his social media accounts?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yes, I've never met either of them. I've only been
to New York one time in my life and it
was twenty years ago, So I mean I do not
know him personally nor his wife.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
No.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
So you know, and I was in a TikTok this
or nottok in X space this weekend called squirrel Gate
that people were talking about this and they were so
angry with you. So how has this impacted you emotionally?
And what you know you mentioned faith, is that what's
helping you get through this nightmare? When the whole world,
because I know you told me yesterday when we talked it,
(13:33):
people from across the country have been calling you in
the world.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
All over the world. Actually, I had a man reach
out to me on WhatsApp from South Africa and I
explained to him why I was not guilty, and he
was apologizing to me as many others have. But me,
I've basically been in fight or flight for the last
(13:59):
several days. And I'm okay because I do know who
I belong to and it's not any of these people
that have been accusing me. And I have faith that
he has me. I mean, he put both of you
in my path to clear my name. So if that
isn't proof positive, I don't know what is.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And you know, Bill, part of it is the overreach
because when I was outraged by this story because for
agencies and like, apparently fifteen people went to this man's
house spent hours trying to you know, capture a squirrel
in a raccoon and they don't even care about crime
(14:38):
in New York.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I mean, the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Bottom line when you read up about animals in New York,
you're not allowed to have wild animals in the house.
But there wasn't even you know, they took the animals
away and they immediately euthanized them. And now there's a
legislator that's pushing a peanuts law trying to you know,
so that there's more time that you can't do this. So, so Bill,
(15:01):
can you talk about the overreach that went down in
this case. I mean, you've got your client now, she's
she's already gone, you know, been through hell, and then
Mark Longo has been through hell up in New York
with this with this animal.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I do want to note that Mark A.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Longo, he was monetized with the animal and they used
it for their peanuts. It's a it's a Peanuts Freedom
Farm Animal sanctuary, and he has three hundred rescue animals
from horses. I'll pacas, birds, cats, dogs, so so talk
about the overreach that's gone down here and the craziness
with this.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, thanks Veronica. I feel terrible for for anybody who
gets their doors kicked in and their and their house ransacked.
And uh and I really don't know what what the
what the standard is in New York, but it doesn't
sound like it's it follows our constitutional standard. You know,
the standard in in the United States for going into
(15:59):
someone's house is that you you have probable cause that
there was a crime committed. You can you can you
can articulate that to to to a court and uh,
and you get and you get a warrant, and that
warrant says that you know where you're going to search
with particularity. It's supposed to say you know where they
believe the contraband that they're looking for exists. And and
(16:23):
uh and this guy's house from the video that I
know very little about mister Longo other than maybe the
video that I saw of him showing how his house
was just destroyed. And it doesn't sound like that agency
followed much of a much of a constitutional standard. And
(16:44):
even if they did, what harm can come from a
squirrel you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Just when you think about it, you know, it is
absolutely ridiculous. And then and then New York has been suffering.
They've had the out of all these agencies, they've had
fifteen bomb threats, like in the last forty eight hours
on the stories I was reading. And then Governor Hocal's
not interested in any any kind of law to push forward,
(17:13):
just the overreach bill. It's just this has impacted now
your client, this has impacted you know, mister Longo up
there in New York in sanity. And we're not even
chasing criminals, We're chasing animals.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
That are just exactly right. I mean, yeah, you gotta wonder,
you got to wonder what what sort of what sort
of you know, you know, budget surplus the State of
New York has that they can that they can take
this kind of energy towards towards Peanut and uh and
as much as many people and this and then and
(17:51):
look at what it's done. I mean, bomb threats on
the on the agency. Well, that put everybody in that
in that office at risk as well, because because people
are they're they're you know, naturally outraged by what's what's
happened here. And of course, it's it's all because you know,
they were probably and I'm certain that many people. My
wife told me about Peanut a long time ago, and
(18:13):
I just thought it was hilarious, and she loves the
videos on online, and and and and and people are outraged, understandably,
and so everybody involved is at risk, even the people
that work for you know, these agencies in the state
of New York who probably you know, they just have
(18:34):
an office job. They're going to work, and and and
that now they're getting these these these threats that just
like Monica is getting. You know, Monica hasn't done anything wrong,
but she's been scapegoaded. Somebody, obviously is is is deflecting
their own their own personal culpability and trying to lay
(18:55):
it on the shoulders of somebody else. But it just
puts everybody at risk. And so if you just if
they just had called mister long Ago and said, hey,
you got to get give up the squirrel. You can't
have wild animals, I'm certain this wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Well, a zoo would have taken you know, the zoo
would have taken it. I'm sure zoo would have because
he had such a huge following, and you know money
was coming in from people following this. So so Monica,
I mean, where do we go from here? You've got
this document breaking news today? The freedom of information law
request came back saying that you have nothing to do
(19:30):
with this. Your lawyer, Bill Price here on the phone,
has sent another one. And Bill, in your experience, will
this office if there's a name involved, because it's the
FOYA that person that they're not protected by any means,
Are they the one that actually called it in?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Well, in my experience, no, you're entitled to get whatever
whatever complaint there is. Now here's the problem. You know,
some agencies have a have a system of taking anonymous requests,
which is also very problematic. So if it's an anonymous
request and they went and kicked in a door based
on an anonymous, an anonymous report, that's also pretty problematic.
(20:11):
I mean, what, what, where's your probable cause if you
can't even trust who you're getting the information from, uh,
whether it turns out in the long run to be
factual or not. And so therefore there is a chance
that we don't get the culprit's name, or the culprit
puts a false name on the report, and and and
the fact that the agency if they did that, if
(20:33):
they're not if they're not verifying who this person is,
and they're kicking indoors, you know, that's pretty problematic as well.
I don't think that that follows our constitutional standard in
the United States either, But like I said, there are
a lot of agencies that just sort of exempt themselves
from following the basic standards of the Constitution and they
just do whatever they want. And then obviously people are
outraged and this thing becomes like a snowball and it
(20:56):
just goes where it's been everywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
And so Monica, what are we missing?
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I mean, are there any more documents or things that
we can go after to try to help you? Because
I can't even imagine. I mean, because you know when
people call you the hated Karen out there. And it
was funny because in the social media showed that I
was on in the X space talking.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Overreach, like people were saying your name.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
And I will say that the crowd in there was like, well,
we really shouldn't say someone's name.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
We don't need them docs. We don't know who they are.
You know, it is a squirrel and a raccoon. So
so what have we missed?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Is there anything else that we can do to help you?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You're doing it by getting the word out that it
has been verified that I was not the one.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Does it?
Speaker 3 (21:53):
So?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Bill? Does it?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Is this?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I mean, this is a lot and social media has
gone crazy. I just saw a story that in Australia
they're going to make it so that anyone under sixteen
can't be on social media.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But we see the adults can even handle it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
So, so what what can we do as citizens to
help Monica? Besides tell her story? Is there any anything
else that you can go after as a lawyer? And
then what happens when we find out who this is?
You know, are you able to sue somebody if you know?
Because this is slanderous obviously in her life's been put
up upside down, her two children, you know, getting threats
(22:30):
and you know packages that we you know, at your
door step. I'm scared to death for you, Monica.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, that's been kind of scary for us to well, Veronica,
this this issue may be may be actionable, and I
think certainly if people have done what you know, what
what appears to be you know, slanderous, you may be
(22:59):
you may be chasing after a bunch of ghosts, but
there could be some changes made to what's been called
Section two thirty that Congress passed to protect protect the
developers of you know, Internet systems and platforms you know,
which which is where all this information gets gets shared.
And although those people you know currently would have liability
(23:23):
if they are defaming someone, the platforms themselves are basically
immune under that under that standard of the law and
h and that that that that could use a little
a little bit of adjusting where say, for instance, Monica
finds out that people are using you know, a certain
platform to defame her, she could then there should be
(23:44):
a mechanism to report to you know, let's just say
Facebook or something else, to report, hey, this is this
is false. You know, I can give you you know,
evidence that it's false and and therefore lay some response
ability on these platforms to not allow this kind of
thing to continue once once it's been proven to be false.
(24:06):
I mean, they're just they're just perpetuating the problem and
they make money on it. I mean, these these things,
aren't you know that they don't exist, you know, out
of pure altruism for the rest of us. They make money,
and they're making money off of things that can be very,
very harmful and and that I think can be tweaked
a little bit. We'll see what happens in in in
(24:26):
you know, the House or the Senate. But I think,
I think somebody and I'm certain I'm certainly happy to
to help propose some changes, some some some simple safeguards
so that something like this doesn't snowball into letter bombs
that Monica received yesterday. It's just it's just gotten out
(24:48):
of hand and and it didn't have to get this far.
And you know, my next my next call is going
to be to mister Longo with you know, both condolences,
yeah and uh, and also to provide him the documentation
that we are receiving to prove that Monica was not
the culprit that she loves squirrels. She would never harm peanut.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Right, And so Monica, have other media outlets tracked you
down as well?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yes, they have, They've started to.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
And why do you plan to interview with them too
to tell your story?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I do good, I do I want to. I want
to talk, definitely talk as much as possible about the
dangers of social media and passing judgment. And the fact
that these social media outlets do not You can report
fake accounts, you can report false comments all day long,
and they do not remove them. And so that makes
(25:51):
it a dangerous a dangerous thing for adults. That you
mentioned children earlier. In what I learned through this process
is that you don't I have no way of knowing
who all of the people were that were sending me
texts or calling my phone, and the reality is that
a good portion of them could have been young people
(26:14):
or children.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And do you hate social media?
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Now?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Will you go back on once your name is cleared
or you're going to give it up after this awful experience?
I mean, what does social media mean to you now?
Speaker 3 (26:32):
No, I'm not quite sure how to answer that question,
but I will tell you that I have no plans
to to delete all my accounts. I think that there's
a lot of entertainment there as far as things like
Peanut the squirrel. You know, that was precious to see,
and you know, I think there's a lot of value there.
(26:52):
But I also think it can be used for a
lot of evil. And that's what I hope to get
out in the future in my messages in the coming days.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
To clean it up.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And I will say that on a nice note, mister
Longo's has a GoFundMe for the sanctuary and they've raised
well over two hundred thousand now, so that is one
nice thing that has happened out of this. Is there
any anything that we can do to help you? You know, Monica,
(27:25):
and we definitely pray for you, because I can't even
imagine being in the crosshairs and you know, you're an
innocent person here and I can't even imagine what can
we do to help you?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Just keep using your voice to get across the people
that words matter and that actions matter, and that at
the end of the day, we need to never pass
judgment on another human being, because even the way things
loick on social media doesn't give us the whole doesn't
get anyone the whole story or everybody's perspective, and certainly
(28:00):
does not condemn one single human being. It never should,
it never has, and it never will.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Is there anything else you want to share with America
regarding this this situation?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I do, I'm innocent, and I would like the calls
and messages to stop.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Okay, and Bill, what can we do? Because you're the lawyer,
I mean, it's when you have to hire her lawyer.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know, that's always that's not a good thing. So
what can we do to help now?
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I think the greater good here is that a lesson
can be learned. And you know, everybody in America, especially
with the Internet, you can reach out to your congressman,
your senator. You can say hey, I think or your
state representative you can say hey, listen, I think that
this kind of stuff is just far too prevalent. It's
(28:54):
too easy for somebody to turn a little mistake of
mistaken identity into a nightmare or even worse, people really
get hurt. I mean, if if some of those letter
bombs that that Monica received were real, God helped the
world that that that turns into something like that. You know,
we can we can do stuff. We can ask for legislation,
(29:18):
I mean common sense minor changes that just say, hey,
a platform has some obligation to its users to at
least accept accept the information that corrects. I mean, you
look at your Twitter feed, and I know that's not
called Twitter anymore, but I'm an old bird and so
(29:40):
the pun is intended. But but if you look at
your your your your Twitter feed, you'll see people that
are able to make community notes, you know, just to hey,
let me clarify. You know, this person is saying this happened,
but maybe maybe yeah, but maybe maybe it's taken out
of context, or maybe you know, the time of it
(30:01):
isn't what they're saying. It was no older, or happened
somewhere else, or maybe it's not even not even accurate
at all, you know. So so that's a that's kind
of a helpful, uh, a helpful change that they made.
But you know, you just don't see a lot of
platforms don't have that kind of thing, and perhaps they should.
So we can, we can call our service providers, the
(30:24):
platforms themselves, our legislators, and we can make sure that
that we just have minor changes to what to what
is has has has been very useful. I mean, you know,
I use the internet a thousand times a day for
work and for groceries and you know, everything I need, uh,
you know, find a restaurant. Everything you know, life you know,
(30:48):
revolves around it. But the information has to be accurate,
and when it's not, we should have an ability, uh
and ability to correct it. So that's that's just my
two cents.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I foreseen Monica testifying in front of Congress on this
because I mean, what's happened to you has been horrific.
And Monica, I guess final thoughts. You know, because you're
the mother of two twin boys that are ten, what do.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
You want them to know about you?
Speaker 1 (31:16):
And and because ten years from now we're going to
look back and probably laugh at this, because we'll know
who this person probably was that outed you.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
What do you want them to know from this experience?
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Well, jokingly, I want them to look back and understand
why they didn't get phones until they were eighteen. But
I want them to ye, But I want them to
understand that their words carry a lot of weight, and
that is something that I've been talking to them about
since they were old enough to hear. The message is
(31:51):
that their words hold weight, that everyone's words hold weight,
and also that there are two sides, three sides, four
sides to brief story, and that they don't always know
the full story of any situation, and to show people
kindness and grace despite what they think they know.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Well, it's been a pleasure we've been talking with Monica Keesler.
She was accused of calling New York and turning in
the squirrel and the raccoon that eventually got euthanized, and
the whole world has been up in arms and it
was not you. And I do want to hit home
again that we have the document from the Office of
(32:33):
General Counsel the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
that arrived this morning and said that you had nothing
to do with this. So Bill, anything that we've missed
as a lawyer.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Just needs to stop. It just has to stop. But
thank you so much Veronica for having us.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Yes, yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Thanks for joining Veronica Live. And we wish you well
on this journey and you have to keep us for
Monica how it goes, God bless you.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I will absolutely do that. God bless you. Thank you
so much for Veronica.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Thanks thanks for joining Veronica Live.
Welcome to Veronica Live. And I actually have an exclusive today.
I am talking with Monica Keisler and her name literally
has gone viral across the country. She has been accused
of being the individual that called New York and complained
(00:22):
about a squirrel that is famous on TikTok that everybody's
been talking about Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon.
And what has gone down is that this call went
to New York. The New York agencies went bananas and
decided to send four agencies fifteen agents to Mark Longo's house.
(00:43):
And he's had this squirrel that was domesticated that he
rescued for seven years in his house that has one
million followers on Instagram and two million followers on TikTok.
The agencies in New York rated his house for hours.
They took the squirrel, Peanut and the raccoon that was
also domesticated and took them away. I guess with the
(01:07):
squirrel bit somebody. They said they had to put both
animals down, and a fury was born because these animals
became famous during COVID. And this is where we pick
up the story because I have Monica Keisler on the
line with me and then her lawyer, Bill Price from
the Price Law Firm, joining Veronica Live.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Thank you so much for on account, I'm really glad
to be here today.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Thank you, Veronica, It's wonderful to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, Monica. Bill reached out to me. We've been longtime friends,
and he thought that this would be a great place
for you to tell your story. And seriously, you've become
the world's careen that nobody likes. And today, when I
was prepping for you to come on, I read all
of the news stories went out and saw all of
the social media and I can't imagine being as hated
(01:58):
as you are right now. And you wanted to tell
us your story. So take the you know I'm gonna
throw you the football. Tell us how this all started
with this squirrel gate and people saying that you made
this call about the squirrel.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, in the last few years that my twin boys
and I have followed the story of Peanut and Fred,
and because we also have rehabbed squirrels, and we found
such joy like the rest of the world and seeing
the videos of Peanut and Fred. And on Friday, when
(02:34):
we arrived home from our day. There was a notification
in a rehabber group that I'm a member of that
said there was a video to watch, and that was
where I learned of the reporting and the confiscating and
the ultimate euthanizing of those poor babies. And my boys
(02:57):
and I had a good cry and they went out
to and I kept scrolling on Facebook like people tend
to do, and saw a screenshot of a lady, a
lady's post from somewhere that I still don't know where
it came from, but it was posted in that group,
and shared of this lady saying that they were responsible
(03:20):
and they should have known better, and they knew that
they had animal wild animals illegally and that they were
monetizing them and that it was all wrong. And if
you knew me, if you'd known me before yesterday, and
if your listeners knew me, you would know that I
cannot stand to see somebody kicked when they're down. And
(03:44):
in the comments, someone was wondering who actually reported them,
and I simply commented, let's.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Let's let's let's stop right there for one second. I
hate to be the lawyer in the bunch, but let's
be careful that let's you know, I do my Monica, Veronica,
I apologize, but but you know I want I want
us to be careful, not to not to do what's
been done to you, Monica. So, Monica, why don't you
just tell her that you know we're about the letter
(04:15):
you got from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation yesterday?
You got you got a message from them? Did you
not exonerate you?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I sure did, because it was reported that I reported
Peanut and I did not. And I made a f
O I a a Freedom of Information Act request yesterday
and received it via email today that proves that I
was actually not in any way, shape or form involved
(04:46):
in reporting the longos or there or Peanut or Fred.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
We provided that to you, yes, and I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yes, I have it, so so it says here Internet
users that you wrote to them have alleged that I
was involved in the seizure of Peanut the squirrel and
Fred the raccoon, and I and my children have received
death threats. Please, I please need a letter of record
records clearing my name from any involvement in the seizure
(05:17):
of wildlife from a residence in Pine City, New York
on October thirtieth, twenty twenty four, and then they responded
back today this morning. Please be advised that a diligent
search of the files maintained by DC, which is the
depart New York's Department's Department of Environmental Conservation, produced no
(05:37):
responsive records. There are no records with your name nor
any mention of involvement by you relating to the seizure
of wildlife from a residence in Pine City, New York,
on October thirtieth, twenty twenty four, and then it.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Kind of closes us out. Your foil request is now closed.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So okay, wonderful. Now here's the thing, Veronica, I too
have done a Foyer request and it could take weeks.
I don't know if they'll get back to me as
quickly as they did to Monica. Thank god that Monica
did that and she got that. Yeah, she got the
evidence she needs to clear her name. But our Foyer
(06:17):
request is asking for the actual complaints and any information
related to them, because, honestly, Veronica, Monica does deserve to
know who did this and who the real culprit is,
and we're going to get to the bottom of that.
So I hate to interrupt and give y'all you know.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Well, and that was gonna be my next question, but
I just wanted to make sure people understood the story. So, so, Monica,
you saw this so on Facebook?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Is that where you were.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Accused of being the outer of this, you know, calling
this in and and I guess your picture was there too.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
My picture where I live, and within minutes my ad
dress and name and phone number were shared from the
appraisal district in my town. I mean it was awful.
I was I was dogged effectively.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
And I researched and I screenshoted so many these things
and people actually wish death upon you. I mean it
was pretty It's pretty awful, and you know, and what
do you do? So I'm so glad that you've partnered
with Bill, I will say. When I was preparing for
you to come on today, Mark Longo actually made a
video stating that he wanted people to stand down because
(07:35):
he didn't want somebody to be.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Accused of being the culprit.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And what you've experienced now, you know, going people going
after you. So do you do you know why somebody
would would if you've been rescuing. I mean, how many
years have you been doing this rescuing of squirrels?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, I just did it for a few years. I
haven't done it in about a year, okay.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
And so why do you think that they chose you,
of all people to try to crucify this.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
On because of a comment in a Facebook group that
I made.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And what was the comment?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
The comment, let's let's let's let's be careful about about
about you know, let's not name any names, let's not
be defamatory. So I just want to caution everybody that
we don't want to put ourselves in the position of
the bad people that are doing bad things to you,
and we certainly don't want to be So was the.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Comment, though, referring that it wasn't you, it was somebody else.
Is that what the comment was?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Well, let me let me both assure Bill and you
that I have maintained from the very beginning that I
was not going to name this person publicly because I
do not believe. I believe two wrongs do not make
a right. I am a Christian woman. I do not
believe in dragging her the way that I've been dragged.
(08:58):
That is not going to solve us. But the person
that outed me effectively did so because I suggested that
it was them that had reported the longo.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh okay, so they were it was just kind of
okay and yeah, and it was literally, Monica, you're you've
become famous, like people are pretending. I found a TikTok
where somebody said I'm Monica Keisler.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And I'm the one that did it, and then they're like, oh,
I'm just joking. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
So, uh, your you're literally your name is everywhere, you know,
your pictures everywhere, breaking news that that you know that
you're running away now with this, you know, because people
are coming after you.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So uh well let's let's get.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Back, which I have not done, by the way.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Okay, yeah, So those are some of my questions. What
are some of the threats? I mean, people are emailing you,
I guess yesterday when we talked, you mentioned that the
post office has received things too. So, so, what has
happened to your family when you're not the person and
people think it's you that some of the terrible things
that have happened.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Well, I've had a NonStop barrage of text messages and
phone calls leaving me. I purposefully let my voicemail fill
up because I was tired of getting the messages. But
the text messages, which I responded to hundreds of on
Saturday were everything from telling me how horrible of a
(10:28):
person I am without even knowing me, I might add,
of course, to suggesting that I should be be headed
in front of my children, to death threats on my children.
I mean, it's been harrowing.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And are the FBI and your local law enforcement helping
you when somebody's threatening you? And because now you have
this document that exonerates you from this entire thing.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Well, when I tell you that God laid a path
for the situation for me, I mean it. I have
met so many incredible people just from responding to people
accusing me. Also, when I realized that things were spinning
out of control, I reached out to a detective that
lives in my neighborhood, and he had a detective and
(11:22):
an officer here as soon as I got home that
day to take a statement so that I would be
protected if anything did happen, that I that I would
be covered if anything did happen, And that same detective
handled the many deliveries I had to my front door
that first day and the second day, and so it's
(11:45):
it's it's been harrowing, like I said.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
And you're the mother of two boys. Are they doing
okay with with all of this?
Speaker 3 (11:56):
They are, They're handling it pretty well. I think that
the coming months, as they mature, they will realize what actually.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Went on here.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But right now, being can they just know that we've
been home. They're out of school for the week, and
we've been home, and they you know, that's all they
We've gone. I have tried to keep their lives as
normal as possible. We've gone to their sports practices and
all of those things, so they they know, but they
don't know at the same time.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
And did you try to get this document to Mark
Mark Longo as well so he knows it's not you.
Have you been able to know the other side?
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
No, I have not.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
And we just got it though, so let's, uh, we
we can we can certainly make make that effort.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
And then did you did you know Mark Longo but
before this or you were just following his social media accounts?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Is that correct?
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yes, I've never met either of them. I've only been
to New York one time in my life and it
was twenty years ago, So I mean I do not
know him personally nor his wife.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
No.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
So you know, and I was in a TikTok this
or nottok in X space this weekend called squirrel Gate
that people were talking about this and they were so
angry with you. So how has this impacted you emotionally?
And what you know you mentioned faith, is that what's
helping you get through this nightmare? When the whole world,
because I know you told me yesterday when we talked it,
(13:33):
people from across the country have been calling you in
the world.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
All over the world. Actually, I had a man reach
out to me on WhatsApp from South Africa and I
explained to him why I was not guilty, and he
was apologizing to me as many others have. But me,
I've basically been in fight or flight for the last
(13:59):
several days. And I'm okay because I do know who
I belong to and it's not any of these people
that have been accusing me. And I have faith that
he has me. I mean, he put both of you
in my path to clear my name. So if that
isn't proof positive, I don't know what is.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And you know, Bill, part of it is the overreach
because when I was outraged by this story because for
agencies and like, apparently fifteen people went to this man's
house spent hours trying to you know, capture a squirrel
in a raccoon and they don't even care about crime
(14:38):
in New York.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
I mean, the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Bottom line when you read up about animals in New York,
you're not allowed to have wild animals in the house.
But there wasn't even you know, they took the animals
away and they immediately euthanized them. And now there's a
legislator that's pushing a peanuts law trying to you know,
so that there's more time that you can't do this. So, so Bill,
(15:01):
can you talk about the overreach that went down in
this case. I mean, you've got your client now, she's
she's already gone, you know, been through hell, and then
Mark Longo has been through hell up in New York
with this with this animal.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I do want to note that Mark A.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Longo, he was monetized with the animal and they used
it for their peanuts. It's a it's a Peanuts Freedom
Farm Animal sanctuary, and he has three hundred rescue animals
from horses. I'll pacas, birds, cats, dogs, so so talk
about the overreach that's gone down here and the craziness
with this.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, thanks Veronica. I feel terrible for for anybody who
gets their doors kicked in and their and their house ransacked.
And uh and I really don't know what what the
what the standard is in New York, but it doesn't
sound like it's it follows our constitutional standard. You know,
the standard in in the United States for going into
(15:59):
someone's house is that you you have probable cause that
there was a crime committed. You can you can you
can articulate that to to to a court and uh,
and you get and you get a warrant, and that
warrant says that you know where you're going to search
with particularity. It's supposed to say you know where they
believe the contraband that they're looking for exists. And and
(16:23):
uh and this guy's house from the video that I
know very little about mister Longo other than maybe the
video that I saw of him showing how his house
was just destroyed. And it doesn't sound like that agency
followed much of a much of a constitutional standard. And
(16:44):
even if they did, what harm can come from a
squirrel you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Just when you think about it, you know, it is
absolutely ridiculous. And then and then New York has been suffering.
They've had the out of all these agencies, they've had
fifteen bomb threats, like in the last forty eight hours
on the stories I was reading. And then Governor Hocal's
not interested in any any kind of law to push forward,
(17:13):
just the overreach bill. It's just this has impacted now
your client, this has impacted you know, mister Longo up
there in New York in sanity. And we're not even
chasing criminals, We're chasing animals.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
That are just exactly right. I mean, yeah, you gotta wonder,
you got to wonder what what sort of what sort
of you know, you know, budget surplus the State of
New York has that they can that they can take
this kind of energy towards towards Peanut and uh and
as much as many people and this and then and
(17:51):
look at what it's done. I mean, bomb threats on
the on the agency. Well, that put everybody in that
in that office at risk as well, because because people
are they're they're you know, naturally outraged by what's what's
happened here. And of course, it's it's all because you know,
they were probably and I'm certain that many people. My
wife told me about Peanut a long time ago, and
(18:13):
I just thought it was hilarious, and she loves the
videos on online, and and and and and people are outraged, understandably,
and so everybody involved is at risk, even the people
that work for you know, these agencies in the state
of New York who probably you know, they just have
(18:34):
an office job. They're going to work, and and and
that now they're getting these these these threats that just
like Monica is getting. You know, Monica hasn't done anything wrong,
but she's been scapegoaded. Somebody, obviously is is is deflecting
their own their own personal culpability and trying to lay
(18:55):
it on the shoulders of somebody else. But it just
puts everybody at risk. And so if you just if
they just had called mister long Ago and said, hey,
you got to get give up the squirrel. You can't
have wild animals, I'm certain this wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Well, a zoo would have taken you know, the zoo
would have taken it. I'm sure zoo would have because
he had such a huge following, and you know money
was coming in from people following this. So so Monica,
I mean, where do we go from here? You've got
this document breaking news today? The freedom of information law
request came back saying that you have nothing to do
(19:30):
with this. Your lawyer, Bill Price here on the phone,
has sent another one. And Bill, in your experience, will
this office if there's a name involved, because it's the
FOYA that person that they're not protected by any means,
Are they the one that actually called it in?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Well, in my experience, no, you're entitled to get whatever
whatever complaint there is. Now here's the problem. You know,
some agencies have a have a system of taking anonymous requests,
which is also very problematic. So if it's an anonymous
request and they went and kicked in a door based
on an anonymous, an anonymous report, that's also pretty problematic.
(20:11):
I mean, what, what, where's your probable cause if you
can't even trust who you're getting the information from, uh,
whether it turns out in the long run to be
factual or not. And so therefore there is a chance
that we don't get the culprit's name, or the culprit
puts a false name on the report, and and and
the fact that the agency if they did that, if
(20:33):
they're not if they're not verifying who this person is,
and they're kicking indoors, you know, that's pretty problematic as well.
I don't think that that follows our constitutional standard in
the United States either, But like I said, there are
a lot of agencies that just sort of exempt themselves
from following the basic standards of the Constitution and they
just do whatever they want. And then obviously people are
outraged and this thing becomes like a snowball and it
(20:56):
just goes where it's been everywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
And so Monica, what are we missing?
Speaker 1 (21:03):
I mean, are there any more documents or things that
we can go after to try to help you? Because
I can't even imagine. I mean, because you know when
people call you the hated Karen out there. And it
was funny because in the social media showed that I
was on in the X space talking.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Overreach, like people were saying your name.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
And I will say that the crowd in there was like, well,
we really shouldn't say someone's name.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
We don't need them docs. We don't know who they are.
You know, it is a squirrel and a raccoon. So
so what have we missed?
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Is there anything else that we can do to help you?
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You're doing it by getting the word out that it
has been verified that I was not the one.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Does it?
Speaker 3 (21:53):
So?
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Bill? Does it?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Is this?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I mean, this is a lot and social media has
gone crazy. I just saw a story that in Australia
they're going to make it so that anyone under sixteen
can't be on social media.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But we see the adults can even handle it.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
So, so what what can we do as citizens to
help Monica? Besides tell her story? Is there any anything
else that you can go after as a lawyer? And
then what happens when we find out who this is?
You know, are you able to sue somebody if you know?
Because this is slanderous obviously in her life's been put
up upside down, her two children, you know, getting threats
(22:30):
and you know packages that we you know, at your
door step. I'm scared to death for you, Monica.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah, that's been kind of scary for us to well, Veronica,
this this issue may be may be actionable, and I
think certainly if people have done what you know, what
what appears to be you know, slanderous, you may be
(22:59):
you may be chasing after a bunch of ghosts, but
there could be some changes made to what's been called
Section two thirty that Congress passed to protect protect the
developers of you know, Internet systems and platforms you know,
which which is where all this information gets gets shared.
And although those people you know currently would have liability
(23:23):
if they are defaming someone, the platforms themselves are basically
immune under that under that standard of the law and
h and that that that that could use a little
a little bit of adjusting where say, for instance, Monica
finds out that people are using you know, a certain
platform to defame her, she could then there should be
(23:44):
a mechanism to report to you know, let's just say
Facebook or something else, to report, hey, this is this
is false. You know, I can give you you know,
evidence that it's false and and therefore lay some response
ability on these platforms to not allow this kind of
thing to continue once once it's been proven to be false.
(24:06):
I mean, they're just they're just perpetuating the problem and
they make money on it. I mean, these these things,
aren't you know that they don't exist, you know, out
of pure altruism for the rest of us. They make money,
and they're making money off of things that can be very,
very harmful and and that I think can be tweaked
a little bit. We'll see what happens in in in
(24:26):
you know, the House or the Senate. But I think,
I think somebody and I'm certain I'm certainly happy to
to help propose some changes, some some some simple safeguards
so that something like this doesn't snowball into letter bombs
that Monica received yesterday. It's just it's just gotten out
(24:48):
of hand and and it didn't have to get this far.
And you know, my next my next call is going
to be to mister Longo with you know, both condolences,
yeah and uh, and also to provide him the documentation
that we are receiving to prove that Monica was not
the culprit that she loves squirrels. She would never harm peanut.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Right, And so Monica, have other media outlets tracked you
down as well?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yes, they have, They've started to.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
And why do you plan to interview with them too
to tell your story?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
I do good, I do I want to. I want
to talk, definitely talk as much as possible about the
dangers of social media and passing judgment. And the fact
that these social media outlets do not You can report
fake accounts, you can report false comments all day long,
and they do not remove them. And so that makes
(25:51):
it a dangerous a dangerous thing for adults. That you
mentioned children earlier. In what I learned through this process
is that you don't I have no way of knowing
who all of the people were that were sending me
texts or calling my phone, and the reality is that
a good portion of them could have been young people
(26:14):
or children.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And do you hate social media?
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Now?
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Will you go back on once your name is cleared
or you're going to give it up after this awful experience?
I mean, what does social media mean to you now?
Speaker 3 (26:32):
No, I'm not quite sure how to answer that question,
but I will tell you that I have no plans
to to delete all my accounts. I think that there's
a lot of entertainment there as far as things like
Peanut the squirrel. You know, that was precious to see,
and you know, I think there's a lot of value there.
(26:52):
But I also think it can be used for a
lot of evil. And that's what I hope to get
out in the future in my messages in the coming days.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
To clean it up.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And I will say that on a nice note, mister
Longo's has a GoFundMe for the sanctuary and they've raised
well over two hundred thousand now, so that is one
nice thing that has happened out of this. Is there
any anything that we can do to help you? You know, Monica,
(27:25):
and we definitely pray for you, because I can't even
imagine being in the crosshairs and you know, you're an
innocent person here and I can't even imagine what can
we do to help you?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Just keep using your voice to get across the people
that words matter and that actions matter, and that at
the end of the day, we need to never pass
judgment on another human being, because even the way things
loick on social media doesn't give us the whole doesn't
get anyone the whole story or everybody's perspective, and certainly
(28:00):
does not condemn one single human being. It never should,
it never has, and it never will.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Is there anything else you want to share with America
regarding this this situation?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I do, I'm innocent, and I would like the calls
and messages to stop.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Okay, and Bill, what can we do? Because you're the lawyer,
I mean, it's when you have to hire her lawyer.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know, that's always that's not a good thing. So
what can we do to help now?
Speaker 4 (28:33):
I think the greater good here is that a lesson
can be learned. And you know, everybody in America, especially
with the Internet, you can reach out to your congressman,
your senator. You can say hey, I think or your
state representative you can say hey, listen, I think that
this kind of stuff is just far too prevalent. It's
(28:54):
too easy for somebody to turn a little mistake of
mistaken identity into a nightmare or even worse, people really
get hurt. I mean, if if some of those letter
bombs that that Monica received were real, God helped the
world that that that turns into something like that. You know,
we can we can do stuff. We can ask for legislation,
(29:18):
I mean common sense minor changes that just say, hey,
a platform has some obligation to its users to at
least accept accept the information that corrects. I mean, you
look at your Twitter feed, and I know that's not
called Twitter anymore, but I'm an old bird and so
(29:40):
the pun is intended. But but if you look at
your your your your Twitter feed, you'll see people that
are able to make community notes, you know, just to hey,
let me clarify. You know, this person is saying this happened,
but maybe maybe yeah, but maybe maybe it's taken out
of context, or maybe you know, the time of it
(30:01):
isn't what they're saying. It was no older, or happened
somewhere else, or maybe it's not even not even accurate
at all, you know. So so that's a that's kind
of a helpful, uh, a helpful change that they made.
But you know, you just don't see a lot of
platforms don't have that kind of thing, and perhaps they should.
So we can, we can call our service providers, the
(30:24):
platforms themselves, our legislators, and we can make sure that
that we just have minor changes to what to what
is has has has been very useful. I mean, you know,
I use the internet a thousand times a day for
work and for groceries and you know, everything I need, uh,
you know, find a restaurant. Everything you know, life you know,
(30:48):
revolves around it. But the information has to be accurate,
and when it's not, we should have an ability, uh
and ability to correct it. So that's that's just my
two cents.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I foreseen Monica testifying in front of Congress on this
because I mean, what's happened to you has been horrific.
And Monica, I guess final thoughts. You know, because you're
the mother of two twin boys that are ten, what do.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
You want them to know about you?
Speaker 1 (31:16):
And and because ten years from now we're going to
look back and probably laugh at this, because we'll know
who this person probably was that outed you.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
What do you want them to know from this experience?
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Well, jokingly, I want them to look back and understand
why they didn't get phones until they were eighteen. But
I want them to ye, But I want them to
understand that their words carry a lot of weight, and
that is something that I've been talking to them about
since they were old enough to hear. The message is
(31:51):
that their words hold weight, that everyone's words hold weight,
and also that there are two sides, three sides, four
sides to brief story, and that they don't always know
the full story of any situation, and to show people
kindness and grace despite what they think they know.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Well, it's been a pleasure we've been talking with Monica Keesler.
She was accused of calling New York and turning in
the squirrel and the raccoon that eventually got euthanized, and
the whole world has been up in arms and it
was not you. And I do want to hit home
again that we have the document from the Office of
(32:33):
General Counsel the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
that arrived this morning and said that you had nothing
to do with this. So Bill, anything that we've missed
as a lawyer.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Just needs to stop. It just has to stop. But
thank you so much Veronica for having us.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Yes, yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Thanks for joining Veronica Live. And we wish you well
on this journey and you have to keep us for
Monica how it goes, God bless you.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I will absolutely do that. God bless you. Thank you
so much for Veronica.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Thanks thanks for joining Veronica Live.
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