The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on Thursday it has settled with Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) over charges that it secretly discussed merging with former President Trump's media and tech company, before it was allowed to do so.

Why it matters: Against all odds, now the merger between Truth Social’s parent company and the SPAC is nearly at the finish line.

Between the lines: As we've said before, admissions of securities fraud are usually the nail in the coffin for an impending deal. But not here.

• Following the news, DWAC stock price spiked over 30% in Friday's early trading, hovering above $22 per share. That's a hefty premium for a blank check company that hasn't even yet merged with another business.

Details: As part of the settlement, DWAC will pay $18 million in a penalty after it completes a merger, wether with Truth Social's parent or another business.

• It will also correct certain prior regulatory filings and promises not to make false statements going forward.
• A few weeks ago, the DOJ and SEC charged three men, including a DWAC director, with insider trading.

The intrigue: Assuming the deal closes in the coming weeks (the deadline is Sept. 8), flipping Trump's company into a publicly-traded one, we'll finally get to peer into its business as it begins regular financial disclosures.

• It's been a bumpy ride for Truth Social, the company's flagship unit and Twitter alternative.

A group led by Apollo co-founder Josh Harris was given the green light yesterday by the NFL for his $6.05 billion acquisition of the Washington Commanders.

Why it's the BFD: This is a record price tag, not to mention that former owner Dan Snyder paid a mere $800 million for the team in 1999.

Yes, but: It's happening on the backdrop of a new report by former prosecutor and SEC chair Mary Jo White that Snyder sexually harassed Tiffani Johnston, a a former cheerleader and a marketing employee for the Commanders.

• It also found that the Commanders intentionally withheld at least $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with the league's teams, and that Snyder at least knew of the efforts.
• Snyder is being fined a record $60 million.
• As ESPN journalist Mina Kimes points out, the "report is a good reminder of how many people enabled his behavior over the course of decades."

The bottom line: "Yes, Harris is overpaying by any reasonable standard. The Commanders share a media market with Baltimore, and play in a dilapidated suburban stadium.... His bet, of course, is that scarcity will continue to drive up the value of NFL teams, eventually making this deal look like a bargain." — Dan Primack, Axios

• Whop.com, a New York-based marketplace for digital products, raised $17m in Series A funding from Insight Partners, Zinal Growth, Peter Thiel, Justin Mateen, Justin Kan, The Chainsmokers, Vivek Ranadive, David Blitzer, Josh Richards, Griffin Johnson, James Harden, Cory Levy, and Josh Browder. www.whop.com

• Wooptix SL, a Madrid and San Francisco-based semiconductor company, raised €10 million in Series B funding from Bullnet Capital, Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation, Danobatgroup, European Innovation Council Fund, Fagor Automation, Intel Capital, and Mondragón Promotion. www.wooptix.com

🚙 Ati Motors, a Detroit and India-based maker of autonomous industrial robots, raised $10m in Series A funding led by True Ventures, with Athera Ventures Partners, Blume Ventures, Exfinity Ventures, and MFV Partners also participating. www.atimotors.com

• Skillit, a New York-based construction labor recruiting startup, raised $8.5m in additional seed funding led by MetaProp and Bow Capital, with Building Ventures also participating. www.skillit.com

• Portrait Analytics, a Boston-based generative AI search and summarization startup, raised $7m in funding led by Unusual Ventures, with .406 Ventures also participating. https://axios.link/3K4pER2

• GlobalComix, a Pittsburgh-based digital comics distribution company, raised $6.5m in Series A funding led by Point72 Ventures, with Endeavor and others also participating. https://axios.link/3pVeTJW

• InspectionGo, a Morgantown, W.Va.-based home inspection software startup, raised $5.5m in Series A funding led by Wasatch Equity Partners, with Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Allegheny Angel Fund, The West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust, Twenty Five Ventures, Mountain State Capital, and Hamilton Ventures also participating. https://axios.link/3rxGz85

• Colleen, an Israeli rent collection software maker, raised $3.5m in seed funding led by Wilshire Lane Capital with Skybox Capital also participating. www.colleen.ai

• Bridgepoint acquired SK AeroSafety, a U.K.-based provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft safety equipment, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. www.skaerosafetygroup.com

• Chase Corporation, a Westwood, Mass.-based manufacturer of protective materials, agreed to be acquired by KKR in an all-cash transaction at $127.50 a share, or $1.3b. https://axios.link/3OmZpYu

• Motive Partners acquired a majority stake in With Intelligence, a investment data provider, for £400 million from Intermediate Capital Group. https://axios.link/3ru0GEc

🚙 Aurora Innovation, a Pittsburgh-based self-driving truck company, raised about $220m via a public offering. It also raised $600m in a private placement. https://axios.link/470eO8I

• Yesterday, the FTC withdrew its administrative case that was scheduled for trial in August following the request from Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. It may choose to engage in settlement talks or decide to proceed forward with the antitrust case. https://axios.link/43IGk7S

• HighVista Strategies agreed to acquire the U.S. private markets business of abrdn, including the U.S. private equity and venture capital assets, and the investment and operational teams. www.abrdn.com

• Digital Currency Group is nearing a deal to sell CoinDesk, its crypto-focused media unit, to an investor group led by Matthew Roszak's crypto-focused investment firm Tally Capital and Peter Vessenes of VC firm Capital6. https://axios.link/44VWAmG

• Bracket Capital, a Los Angeles-based growth and later-stage venture firm, raised $150m for its third set of flagship funds and $300m to co-invest alongside. www.bracketcapital.com

• Learn Capital, an Austin, Texas-based venture firm, is seeking $10m for a new opportunities fund, per an SEC filing.

• Mayfield, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based venture firm, carved out $250m from existing capital for an AI-focused seed fund, and hired Vijay Reddy as an AI-focused partner. https://axios.link/43vcB20

• Axxes Capital hired Shane Cunningham to lead its U.S. offshore and LATAM distribution efforts. He was previously at Franklin Templeton. www.axxescapital.com

• Steve Moise, New Mexico state investment officer, will retire on Oct. 1. https://axios.link/44rfWAp

• Goldman Sachs is adding former executive Tom Montag to its board of directors. https://axios.link/3ryQ3jz