CEO, social media personality Dan Price investigated on rape allegation in Palm Springs

The former CEO of a Seattle finance company was investigated for alleged rape by Palm Springs Police Department last year, and the Riverside County district attorney is considering filing charges.

Dan Price resigned Wednesday from Seattle-based Gravity Payments, a company he founded, soon before a New York Times investigation revealed the executive and social media personality was facing several claims of sexual misconduct.

Price gained fame and a large social media following for paying his employees a minimum salary of $70,000. The Associated Press reported that Price cut his own salary of about $1 million to $70,000 to help achieve the pay floor for his more than 100 employees.

"My No. 1 priority is for our employees to work for the best company in the world, but my presence has become a distraction here," Price tweeted on Wednesday.

Price was charged earlier this year with reckless driving and assault in Seattle, The New York Times reported.

Palm Springs police Lt. Gus Araiza said officers were dispatched to the Ace Hotel on April 16, 2021, on a report of rape. Araiza declined to release the police report of the incident, saying the investigation remained open.

News website Hundred Eighty Degrees publicly posted what Araiza said appeared to be a portion of the police department's report on the incident

That report states a person, whose name was redacted, took a cannabis edible before attempting to go to sleep while staying at the hotel with her boyfriend. She declined his sexual advances, the report said, but later woke to him having intercourse with her without her consent. The report identified Dan Price as the suspect.

Palm Springs police submitted the case to the DA's office on Monday recommending Price be charged with rape of a drugged victim, Araiza said.

Riverside County District Attorney spokesperson John Hall said that his office had not yet determined whether it would file charges against Price after receiving the Palm Springs police case.

Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Dan Price investigated by Palm Springs Police Department for alleged rape