Hours after mayoral candidate Rob Ford revealed he was convicted in 1999 for refusing to provide a breath sample and charged with marijuana possession, rival Sarah Thomson's camp acknowledged that she had also been charged with assault the same year.

A press release on Thomson's campaign website said the charges stemmed from a confrontation with an employee.

"The employee was disgruntled and was believed to be stealing company property," the release said.

Thomson then reported her to police, who arrested her.

The unnamed employee then filed assault charges against Thomson. The Crown did not proceed with the charges, the release said.

John A.D. Tory, Thomson's campaign manager, told media outlets that the employee worked at the Hamilton Examiner, which Thomson owned at the time.

Thomson is the only woman among those considered the five major mayoral candidates. She quit her job as publisher of Women's Post — which she started in 2002 — to run for the mayoralty.