Man accused of tackling Paul charged with assaulting member of Congress
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The man accused of tackling U.S. Sen. Rand Paul in the Kentucky lawmaker’s yard has been charged with assaulting a member of Congress as part of a federal plea agreement. And his lawyer confirmed what’s long been suggested by neighbors: The attack stemmed from a dispute about yard maintenance.
No date has been set for Rene Boucher’s guilty plea for the attack on the Republican senator, said Josh J. Minkler, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“Assaulting a member of Congress is an offense we take very seriously,” Minkler said in a release. “Those who choose to commit such an act will be held accountable.”
Boucher faces possible prison time for the attack, which his attorney says “he’s very regretful” about and had to do with the upkeep of their yards.
“This is over a matter that most people would regard as trivial,” Boucher’s attorney, Matt Baker, said in a phone interview Friday. “It has to do with yards and the maintenance of those.”
Boucher is “very meticulous” about how he maintains his yard, while Paul takes “a much different approach” to the upkeep of his property, Baker said.
Some neighbors had speculated the attack was motivated by a dispute over yard debris. But Paul’s office has rejected that. Paul told Fox News in November that ultimately, the motive does not matter.
Boucher, a retired anesthesiologist, faces a misdemeanor assault charge in Kentucky state court. He pleaded not guilty to that charge.
Boucher faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.