The Latest: GOP closely following Rand Paul’s recovery

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The Latest on an assault of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at his home (all times local):

3 p.m.

Vice President Mike Pence has called Sen. Rand Paul as the Kentucky lawmaker recovers from having his ribs broken, allegedly by his longtime neighbor in a still unexplained assault.

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven updated reporters Tuesday after Pence attended the Senate GOP’s closed-door, weekly luncheon.

Hoeven said Pence mentioned he had called Paul, and “the chuckle was that he must be OK because he was already working (Pence) on ideas on tax relief.”

He said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also spoke about Paul, saying “that he had broken five ribs but was doing OK.”

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12:10 p.m.

A close friend of Rand Paul says the U.S. senator does not know why a neighbor tackled him in his yard and broke five of his ribs.

Rob Porter says he has been friends with Paul for 20 years in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In all that time, Porter said he has never heard Paul mention Rene Boucher, his neighbor of 17 years. Police have charged Boucher with misdemeanor assault.

Porter said he visited Paul on Saturday, one day after the attack. He said Paul was mowing his yard when he stopped to remove a limb. Porter said Paul was wearing ear protection and had his back to the street so he could not hear anyone coming before he was attacked.

Porter said if Paul and Boucher had a feud, he did not know about it.

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11:48 a.m.

An attorney for the Kentucky man charged with assaulting U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says he met with U.S. Capitol Police representatives to discuss security matters following the attack involving the longtime neighbors.

Attorney Matt Baker said Tuesday Capitol Police needed assurances there would not be any further security issues for the Kentucky lawmaker and his family.

Paul suffered five broken ribs in the attack that stunned the Bowling Green community.

Police charged 59-year-old Rene Boucher with misdemeanor fourth-degree assault with a minor injury following Friday’s incident. Records show he was released from jail on a $7,500 bond.

A judge ordered Boucher to have no contact with Paul or his family.

Baker has dismissed political differences as a reason for the dispute, but he and others have refused to discuss specifics about the cause.

In this Aug. 11, 2017 photo, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks to supporters in Hebron, Ky. A man has been arrested and charged with assaulting and injuring Rand Paul. Kentucky State Police said in a news release Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 that Paul suffered injuries when 59-year-old Rene Boucher assaulted him at his Warren County home on Friday afternoon. The release did not provide details of the assault or the nature of Paul’s injury. In a statement, Paul spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said the Republican senator was “fine.” (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, file)