AG: I’ll Bern ya, Trump

Hires Sanders’ e-consulting firm in bid to raise lib profile

ALBANY — The state attorney general has hired Bernie Sanders’ digital-consulting team at a time when he’s upping his progressive profile with lawsuits and attacks on President Trump’s agenda. AG Eric Schneiderman (photo inset left), who is expected to seek a third term in 2018 and has also been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate, turned to Revolution Messaging to help raise funds and build on his campaign’s social media presence, a source close to him said.

“It certainly drew our attention,” the source said of the firm’s work with the bid by Sanders (photo far right) for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Revolution Messaging bills itself on its website as “a full-service agency fighting for progressive causes.”

The Washington-based firm has been sending out fund-raising requests for Schneiderman and other emails touting actions he’s taken, including against the Trump administration.

Mayor de Blasio in September hired Revolution Messaging for his reelection campaign this year.

And Schneiderman’s former chief of staff, Micah Lasher, paid the firm $35,000 during an unsuccessful state Senate run last year.

Schneiderman is also using his new national platform and fund-raising apparatus to help raise money for progressive candidates outside of New York.

On Wednesday night, he is set to host a New York City fund-raiser for Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, the only Democratic AG up for reelection this year.

And last November, Schneiderman’s campaign sent out a fund-raising solicitation for Roy Cooper, who ultimately won a tight governor’s race in North Carolina against a Republican incumbent.

Last month, Schneiderman spoke at an immigrant rights rally in Newburgh. Later that month, he headlined a progressive rally in New York City.

“We’re proud the AG’s work standing up for everyday New Yorkers and defending the rule of law is clearly resonating across the state,” said Schneiderman spokesman Eric Soufer.

Two recent polls show Schneiderman’s ratings climbing to their highest nonelection-year levels, though a large segment of voters still don't know who he is.

“A piece of it is absolutely Trump-related,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said of Schneiderman’s improved poll numbers.

State Republican Party spokeswoman Jessica Proud accused Schneiderman of having “completely abused his office for political purposes.”

“Watching him and other Democrats trying to trip over themselves to be the Trump antagonists is laughable,” Proud said. “They’re all lining up to raise their national profiles.” lll A former state senator recently

hit with felony charges by Schneiderman's office lost his lobbying job, but is still representing his former chamber on an obscure state board.

George Maziarz, a Niagara County Republican, was dismissed from Patricia Lynch & Associates the morning after his arrest on charges he improperly funneled campaign money to a former Senate staffer who had left after being hit with sexual harassment charges, Lynch said.

“He’s no longer with the firm,” Lynch said.

But Maziarz, who has pleaded not guilty, remains the only Senate appointee on the state Economic Development Power Allocation Board that recommends companies for state power contracts.

Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan “should pull the plug on that appointment,” said Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

A Senate GOP spokesman had no comment.

Maziarz was named to the board in 2014 by then-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who has since been convicted on federal corruption charges.

Maziarz’s unpaid, three-year board term expires in September.