(CNN) When adult film star Jessica Drake accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct a month before the presidential election, Trump said through a spokesperson that he didn't know the woman and had "no interest in ever knowing her."

Less than a week later, a woman named Angel Ryan was listed in a secret settlement agreement negotiated by Trump's personal attorney as having "confidential information" about the then-Republican nominee.

The two occurrences may appear unrelated. But there is a connection: Drake, the woman who accused Trump, and Ryan, the woman named in the non-disparagement agreement, are the same person, according to interviews and documents reviewed by CNN.

The connection raises new questions about the circumstances surrounding the controversial agreement in which Trump attorney Michael Cohen sought to protect his longtime client and friend.

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