Kelley Paul, the wife of Sen. Rand Paul, said Wednesday that since her husband was attacked by a neighbor earlier this month he’s been in pain every time he breathes. She also pushed back on reports that the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute.
The senator from Kentucky suffered six broken ribs when he was allegedly tackled from behind by Rene Boucher on Nov. 3, according to state police and Paul. Boucher has been charged with fourth-degree misdemeanor assault, and his attorney has said it was not motivated by politics and that "it's a messy yard."
Paul's wife wrote in a commentary posted to CNN Wednesday that neither she nor the senator has talked to Boucher in 10 years.
"The only 'dispute' existed solely in the attacker's troubled mind, until, on a beautiful autumn day, he ran down the hill on our property and slammed his body into Rand's lower back as he stood facing away, wearing noise canceling headphones to protect his ears from the lawnmower," she wrote on CNN.
Kelley Paul said since the attack Paul has had pain when breathing and that "he has not had a single night's sleep uninterrupted by long periods of difficult breathing or excruciating coughing."
Boucher and the Pauls have been neighbors for 17 years, Boucher's attorney said.
Another neighbor, Alicia Stivers, told WKU Public Radio of Western Kentucky that she spoke with Rand Paul shortly after the incident and he said something to the effect of "when he got up, Rene was just screaming something about I've been trying to sell my house for 10 years, and um, you know, your — your trees are in the way."
Kelley Paul said that reports in the media about a possible ongoing dispute and that Paul has been a less than perfect neighbor were "incredibly hurtful."
Boucher has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond. Boucher's attorney, Matthew Baker, declined to comment on Kelley Paul's commentary on CNN Wednesday.
Baker said earlier this month that "it was a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial," and that "We sincerely hope that Senator Paul is doing well and that these two gentlemen can get back to being neighbors as quickly as possible."
