Republican Senator Rand Paul will return to work in the Senate on Monday after he sustained major injuries in an attack from his neighbor.
Sen. Paul was mowing his lawn at his home in Kentucky a little less than two weeks ago when his neighbor “blindsided” him by tackling him from behind. Paul broke six ribs and suffered a pleural effusion from the attack.
“While I’m still in a good deal of pain, I will be returning to work in the Senate today, ready to fight for liberty,” Paul tweeted on Monday, “and help move forward with tax cuts in the coming days and weeks.”
Kelley and I want to thank everyone once again for your thoughts and prayers for my recovery. While I’m still in a good deal of pain, I will be returning to work in the Senate today, ready to fight for liberty and help move forward with tax cuts in the coming days and weeks.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 13, 2017
59-year-old neighbor and anesthesiologist Rene Boucher plead “not guilty” to a misdemeanor assault charge and his lawyer claimed the dispute was over a landscaping disagreement. Other neighbors suggested the attack may have been politically motivated as Boucher is an avowed socialist. (REPORT: Federal Charges Expected For Rand Paul’s Attacker, Assault May Have Been Politically Motivated)
“Last week Senator Paul was vigorously assaulted by someone in his neighborhood. This is a serious criminal matter involving serious injury, and is being handled by local and federal authorities,” Doug Stafford, a senior advisor to Paul, said. “As to reports of a longstanding dispute with the attacker, the Pauls have had no conversations with him in many years.”
“This was not a ‘fight,’ it was a blindside, violent attack by a disturbed person,” Stafford said. “Anyone claiming otherwise is simply uninformed or seeking media attention.”