PRESIDENT Trump’s personal lawyer has conceded he paid $US130,000 — out of his own pocket — to silence porn star Stormy Daniels who had been claiming she had been in a sexual relationship with the ambitious businessman.

TheNew York Times reports Michael D. Cohen has given his most detailed explanation yet of a 2016 “private transaction” he made to the pornographic actor.

That the payment was made was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal in January.

Cohen had previously insisted Trump denied any affair with Stephanie Clifford, who uses the professional name Stormy Daniels.

Clifford had told her story to media in 2011. The details surfaced again after allegations of the payments surfaced last month.

Cohen, who worked as a personal counsel to Trump and his organisation for more than a decade, says he was not compensated for the payment.

“Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly,” Mr. Cohen said in a written statement to The New York Times. “The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.”

Cohen refused to reveal whether Trump knew of the payment, explain why he made the payment or admit allegations of similar payments to other women.

However, he rejected claims that the payment amounted to a contribution to the Trump presidential campaign.

“The complaint alleges that I somehow violated campaign finance laws by facilitating an excess, in-kind contribution,” Mr. Cohen said in his statement. “The allegations in the complaint are factually unsupported and without legal merit, and my counsel has submitted a response to the FEC (Federal Election Comission).”