Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Monday that he had to get a part of his lung removed over the weekend after it was damaged when a 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,” Paul said in a tweet. “The doctors, nurses, & staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were great. I should be able to return to the Senate in September.”
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 the injury sustained when his neighbor attacked him on his front lawn.
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 the senator’s ribs and bruising his lungs. Paul said Boucher, 60, assaulted him while he was mowing his lawn.
Paul was initially thought to have broken five ribs and suffered contusions after being tackled to the ground.
In a 2017 op-ed published by CNN, Paul’s wife Kelley said her husband and Boucher did not have any past issues, nor was there a dispute that led to the 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.
After originally denying the attack, Boucher in statements to the FBI and Kentucky State Police admitted to running onto Paul’s property and tackling the senator after seeing him stacking more brush on a pile.
Boucher pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge in March 2018. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
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