A 53-year-old Foley man pleaded guilty Monday to punching a Minnesota House candidate in a Benton County bar in October 2018. 

Court records show Richard Donald Schmit pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree assault when he punched then 15B Rep. candidate Shane Mekeland of Clear Lake at a bar in Duelm. 

Schmit is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 2. 

Back in January, he had first pled not guilty to the several charges against him including third degree assault and two counts of fifth degree assault.

The criminal complaint states the assault took place  Oct. 12, 2018, at Jack & Jim’s restaurant in St. George Township.

Mekeland told authorities Schmit “used his right hand to jab” at Mekeland’s face after the candidate made a comment about the middle class.  Mekeland struck his head on the floor and passed out after his bar chair fell backward. The investigating deputy noted that Mekeland did have swelling under his left eye.

In an interview with police, Schmit allegedly said he had consumed “six or seven bottles of beer” prior to the incident, according to the complaint. He said Mekeland sat next to him and started campaigning.

Following the incident, Mekeland visited CentraCare Health in Monticello and was diagnosed by a doctor as having a concussion, nasal injury and a subconjunctival hematoma to his head.