Donald Trump: In addition to Stormy Daniels payment, Manhattan DA also investigating Donald Trump payment to Playboy model

NEW YORK — In addition to former President Trump’s alleged role in the $130,000 hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News the Manhattan district attorney’s office is also investigating Trump’s $150,000 payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal, who, like Daniels, claimed to have had an affair with Trump.

Trump has denied having an affair with either woman and has called the entire investigation a witch hunt.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment.

McDougal was paid for the rights to her story in August 2016 by American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer, which buried it instead of publishing it, a practice known as catch and kill.

(Video in player above from previous coverage)

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, has said he recorded Trump discussing reimbursement to American Media for the payment to McDougal.

That the Manhattan investigation includes the McDougal payment, a detail first reported by the Wall Street Journal, raises the possibility Trump could face criminal charges over the attempts to keep both women from going public with their stories before the 2016 presidential election. Or, prosecutors could use the detail to suggest a pattern of conduct.

Both Daniels and McDougal alleged affairs with Trump years before he ran for president – McDougal in 2006 and Daniels in 2010 – but were both paid in the closing moments of the 2016 campaign.

A grand jury has been hearing evidence in the Trump matter since January. It conducts its examination in secret so it’s not known when a vote on any indictment might occur.

The grand jury has a few scheduled days off in April around the Passover and Easter holidays but could be summoned back into service at any time.