Rand Paul’s Neighbor Hit with Felony Charge for Attack
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Senator Rand Paul’s neighbor will plead guilty to a November attack that left the Kentucky lawmaker with six broken ribs.
Rene Boucher, 59, was charged with assaulting a member of Congress, a felony that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250.000 fine.
“Assaulting a member of Congress is an offense we take very seriously,” U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler said in a statement.
Boucher, a retired physician and longtime neighbor, is accused of blindsiding Paul while he mowed his lawn.
Some speculated if the attack was politically motivated, but Boucher’s attorney said the defendant became irate over lawn “maintenance.”
According to the statement from the US Attorney's Office, “Boucher allegedly witnessed the victim stack brush onto a pile near the victim's property and ‘had enough.’”
Paul told CBS’s Face the Nation earlier this month the media had become obsessed with motives.
“I think one of the things about motivations is people got obsessed, some in the media, about the motivations. But I think, really, we usually don’t ask if someone’s raped or mugged or whatever why the person did it,” said Paul.
“We want punishment and deterrents. I guess that’s what I’m mostly about,” he continued.
Paul’s recovery was extensive. Besides the six broken ribs, the senator said he also battled two bouts of pneumonia during his recovery.
"It was sort of, I guess, a living hell for the first four or five weeks,” Paul recounted.
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