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The neighbor, 58-year-old Rene A. Boucher of Bowling Green, Kentucky, admitted to the assault, but denied accusations that it may have been politically motivated, according to court documents. Boucher was charged with assaulting a member of Congress resulting in personal injury, a felony under federal law, according to the documents.

\"PHOTO:
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP, FILE
PHOTO: Sen. Rand Paul speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Sept. 25, 2017.
>

Paul did not reference the charges in his Wednesday interview, but said the dispute may have been connected to something much deeper.

“How could someone be so mad about grass clippings, you know?” he asked. “I think that sometimes we are channeling a lot of rage on both sides, politically and otherwise -- grass clippings you name it. We are unhappy with each other.”

I wouldn’t characterize it as a fight, I was blindsided. - @RandPaul discusses the attack he endured last year. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/YOwZNkbFzx

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 1, 2018

The senator, who also witnessed the 2017 shooting at a congressional softball game that left Rep. Steve Scalise in critical condition, said the assault was a horrible ending to a horrible year.

“I've been shot at. I've been mugged. I'm hoping 2018 is a better year,” he said. “People come up to me all the time and want to commiserate because it is pretty painful.

“I've been through a lot, but I'm on the mend.”

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