Rene Boucher, the man who attacked Senator Rand Paul last week, may have really screwed the pooch when he attacked Paul, especially because federal authorities believe the attack may have been politically motivated.
Prosecutors have told Rand Paul to expect federal charges against Boucher. This despite media outlets reporting that the attack was over a dispute the two men have had for some time.
As reported by Peter Hasson for The Daily Caller:
Boucher’s neighbors described him as an avowed socialist known for getting into heated political arguments. Boucher’s Facebook page revealed him to hold fervent anti-Trump beliefs, stating in one post that he hopes Special Counsel Robert Mueller will “fry Trump’s gonads.”
“My family has lived here for six years now. In all the years that I have been on board we have never had any complaints at all about anything from them or against the Pauls,” one neighbor, Shawn Parker, told TheDC. “I pass by their house everyday as my family lives diagonally across the street from them. When we see Rand out riding his bike or Kelley out walking in the beautiful neighborhood we live in they have always waved or even stopped to say hello.”
Last week, Boucher attacked the Senator and at the time there was no clear motive.
As reported by NBC News:
A criminal complaint says that Paul “told police that his neighbor came onto his property and tackled him from behind, forcing him to the ground and causing pain.”
The Republican senator suffered injuries to his face, including small cuts to the nose and mouth and “and had trouble breathing due to a potential rib injury.” At the time the report was made Paul was being seen by a physician and the extent of any rib injury was unclear, the complaint says.
A neighbor told NBC affiliate WAVE of Louisville that the two men have had ongoing problems and Paul was mowing the lawn at the time of the assault. A state police spokesperson would not confirm those details Saturday.
Boucher admitted to tackling Paul, the criminal complaint says.
The Kentucky State Police confirmed that the FBI were involved in the investigation, but the ongoing probe will be led by the trooper who made the arrest.