In his 2002 campaign for mayor, he admitted to trashing a thousand copies of The Daily Californian after the student newspaper endorsed his opponent, Shirley Dean. In response, Bates paid a $250 fine for the infraction and urged the Berkeley city council to pass an ordinance outlawing the stealing of free newspapers. Additionally, he promised to speak to Berkeley public school students about the consequences of his actions, and he agreed to pay the newspaper a $500 restitution fee.