Seattle boss praised for hiking employee pay to $70k accused of sexual assault, blames opponents of his progressive advocacy

A left-wing entrepreneur who was widely praised for taking a pay cut in order to boost his employees' wages was accused of sexual assault, but he's blaming his support for progressive causes for the accusations.

Dan Price, the CEO and founder of Gravity Payments, is accused of assaulting a woman according to court documents obtained by the Seattle Times. Price is denying the allegations.

The woman told the Seattle police on Jan. 24 that she had met with Price after exchanging Instagram messages with him about work. After they had dinner, he invited her into his Tesla, she claims that he tried to kiss her against her will and grabbed her neck when she refused.

She also says that she was scared when he began driving erratically after drinking alcohol at dinner with her.

Price was later charged with fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, and fourth-degree reckless driving in February. He has not been arraigned.

An attorney for Price released a statement denying the accusations.

"These allegations are absolutely false. Dan Price’s successful business leadership and advocacy for progressive causes have made him a target for all kinds of smears," read the statement.

"We have already obtained evidence that contradicts key details of the police report and raises serious doubts about the complainant’s credibility," it added. "Mr. Price respects the legal process and is confident that he will be vindicated in court."

Price's ex-wife previously accused him of numerous incidents of domestic violence against her, but she later walked back some of her damaging claims after he threatened to sue her. She maintains that she was still abused by him.

His company also faced many challenges stemming from the unusual wage policies he put into place.

Price is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

Here's a local news report about the accusations:

Seattle CEO Dan Price charged with assault, accused of attempting to forcefully kiss womanwww.youtube.com