**Updated -- Scroll to bottom of post**

Bearing Drift has uncovered a conviction in the past of the Democrats' Second District congressional candidate.

According to Bearing Drift sources in North Carolina, Virginia Beach Commissioner of Revenue Phil Kellam, and Democratic candidate for Virginia's Second District U.S. Congressional Representative, was found guilty in 1978 of assaulting a female while he was a student at Elon University and living in Burlington, NC.

Bearing Drift posted the following documentation with the victim's name redacted:

Update: Wizbang Politics has learned (from the husband of the victim) that the assault occurred at a drive-thru convenience store. Kellam, who as allegedly drunk at the time, was in the car behind the victim at the drive-thru window. Kellam, agitated at the victim for taking so long, got out of his car and started screaming at the woman. The confrontation turned physical when Kellam began beating on the victim's car. Kellam then reached through the driver-side window and assaulted the victim by pulling her hair. Our guess is that in his drunken rage, Kellam was trying to pull the woman out of her car by the hair...

The campaign manger or his incumbent opponent, Rep. Thelma Drake, seems to believe this was not an isolated incident. We'll keep you posted...

Update 9/29 (8:30) -- Bearing Drift has updated their original post. The document they referred to, which is posted above, is a plea, not a conviction, so the title of this post is incorrect. Kellam was not convicted of assault. It appears he pleaded guilty to simple assault on a female, rather than being convicted of it.

After Kellam pleaded guilty June 2, 1978, in Alamance County court to simple assault, a judge entered a "prayer for judgment," a legal term that effectively dismissed the case, Bird said [a Democrat and lawyer in NC]. The alleged assault occurred in May 1978.

Drew Lankford, Kellam's press secretary, said, "It was a classic he said, she said case" and the judge saw no reason to convict.

According to the Virginian-Pilot, Kellam is holding a press conference today to address the matter. He attacked the weblog, Bearing Drift, for posting the information.

Kellam's campaign acknowledged Thursday that Kellam had pleaded guilty to simple assault June 2, 1978, in Alamance County, N.C.

On Thursday night, Kellam issued a written statement that said, in part, "I do regret my actions that afternoon 28 years ago. I have certainly experienced much more of life and developed a greater depth of character over the past 28 years and have sought to live my life with honesty and dignity. Those who know me personally and professionally know I have earned a reputation for truthfulness, civility and personal responsibility."

Kellam's statement also attacked the Weblog, claiming the posting was "egregious, wrong and libelous."