Kelley Paul, wife to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), told Fox News Thursday that the suspicious package she received at her home this week constituted “pure terrorism.”
His wife told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that she found the package — a large envelope that had an image of her husband wounded — as she shuffled through a pile of mail in her front yard. Somewhere on the exterior, the package said, “I’m going to finish what the other guy started” along with an expletive, recalled Kelley Paul. “I just froze and was disgusted.”
Although she didn’t open the envelope, as she was throwing it down, she realized that there was a “weighty” sand-like substance inside of it. She then ran inside, washed her hands, and contacted her husband and law enforcement officials, thinking the letter may have contained poison. She found out several hours later that it was non-lethal.
“It was a terrifying day,” Kelley Paul told Bartiromo. “It’s pure terrorism. People are just trying to terrorize us into silence for being a public servant.”
The FBI said Monday they were investigating the suspicious letter. In a statement, Paul said he “takes these threats immensely seriously,” and called out “C-list” celebrity Richard Marx for saying on Twitter Sunday, “I’ll say it again: If I ever meet Rand Paul’s neighbor I’m going to hug him and buy him as many drinks as he can consume.”
Paul has been subjected to violence various times in the past several years, including in 2017 when his neighbor assaulted him in front of his house, leaving him with six broken ribs and a pleural effusion. He later was diagnosed with pneumonia, and roughly two years later, had to have part of his lung removed because of the effects from the attack.
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
As The Daily Wire previously reported:
The Kentucky senator told police that his neighbor “came onto his property and tackled him from behind, forcing him to the ground and causing pain.” The attack left him with six broken ribs, pleural effusion, and, consequently, pneumonia.
Rene Boucher, 59, was arrested in November 2017 after he attacked Paul outside his Bowling Green, Kentucky home. He was reportedly upset after Paul blew some leaves onto his property with his lawnmower. The judge presiding over the case referred to the attack as a “dispute between neighbors” and denied that it was politically motivated.
Paul was also present when a gunman attacked Congressional Republicans playing baseball. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), the current House Minority Whip, who was severely injured in the attack, recalled in a recent letter that the gunman had asked whether the team playing were Republicans or Democrats prior to the shooting.