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Photo by Evan Vucci/AP Photo

Although Clifford said their relationship was consensual, the issue is particularly sensitive to Trump, whose campaign was dogged by allegations of groping and his boast of grabbing women’s crotches.

Clifford filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday asserting that the nondisclosure agreement that accompanied the $130,000 payment was void because Trump never signed it.

Sanders said that the president had denied having an affair with Clifford or making the payment himself. She added that she was not aware of whether Trump knew about the payment to Clifford at the time.

“I’ve had conversations with the president about this,” Sanders said. “This case has already been won in arbitration, and there was no knowledge of any payments from the president, and he has denied all these allegations.”

Lawrence S. Rosen, a lawyer representing Cohen, said in a statement Wednesday that an arbitrator, who “found that Ms. Clifford had violated the agreement,” barred her from filing her lawsuit and making other disclosures of confidential information.

This case has already been won in arbitration, and there was no knowledge of any payments from the president, and he has denied all these allegations

Clifford’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said that he did not consider the restraining order, dated Feb. 27, valid, and that his client would proceed with her lawsuit in open court. “This should be decided publicly,” he said.

Clifford’s nondisclosure contract, made public through her lawsuit, calls for disagreements to be settled through confidential, binding arbitration. The lawsuit was filed a week after Cohen initiated arbitration proceedings, but the court papers did not say what was at issue or refer to the restraining order.