Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Monday that he had to get a part of his lung removed this weekend after it was damaged when his neighbor attacked him on his front lawn in 2017.
“Unfortunately, I will have to limit my August activities. Part of my lung damaged by the 2017 assault had to be removed by surgery this weekend. The doctors, nurses, & staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were great. I should be able to return to the Senate in September,” Paul said in a tweet.
Unfortunately, I will have to limit my August activities. Part of my lung damaged by the 2017 assault had to be removed by surgery this weekend. The doctors, nurses, & staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were great. I should be able to return to the Senate in September
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 5, 2019
Paul had surgery in Canada in late January to treat an injury sustained when his neighbor attacked him on his front lawn in 2017. The Kentucky senator underwent hernia surgery at a hospital in Thornhill, Ontario, during the week of Jan. 21. The hospital reportedly focuses strictly on hernia repairs and is “the global leader in non-mesh hernia repair,” according to its website.
Paul’s neighbor, Rene Boucher, tackled Paul on his front lawn in November 2017, breaking six of his ribs and bruising his lungs. Boucher, 60, assaulted Paul while he was mowing his lawn. The Kentucky Republican was initially thought to have broken five ribs and suffered contusions after being tackled to the ground.
Paul’s wife said her husband and Boucher did not have any past issues in a 2017 op-ed published by CNN, nor was there a dispute that led to Boucher’s attack. Kelley Paul mentioned that the senator “has rarely” seen Boucher due to the fact her husband is always traveling and spends most of his time in Washington, D.C. (RELATED: Rand Paul’s Wife Details Their Neighbor’s ‘Terrifying’ Attack)
After originally denying the attack, Boucher admitted to running onto Paul’s property and tackling the senator after seeing the senator stacking more brush on a brush pile, in statements to the FBI and Kentucky State Police.
Boucher pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge in March 2018.