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How about that: Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine actually slapped Rich Azzopardi, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s loyal spokesthug, for bad-mouthing state Attorney General Tish James, who’s overseeing a key investigation into the many sexual-harassment claims against the gov.

Lavine (D-LI) is overseeing the Assembly’s own (incredibly slow-moving) impeachment probe of Cuomo, over the sex stuff as well as the coverup of nursing-home deaths while the gov was negotiating his $5 million book deal. So it was entirely appropriate for him to write Azzopardi to put him officially on notice (again) of potential “severe repercussions.”

Specifically, Lavine moved after Azzopardi tweeted that James “says she may run against the governor” as the spokesman sought to downplay The Post’s report that Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen says he’s “over” Cuomo.

The union chief is plainly furious that Cuomo is playing destructive political games with the MTA, which employs so many TWU workers. But Azzopardi tried to pretend it was all about Samuelsen backing James instead: “We also understand he is a political supporter of Tish James and she says she may run against the governor, and he wants more benefits in his contract. Everyone gets that.” 

Cue Lavine, who warned: “It is obvious that attempts to demean the Attorney General serve as well to undermine the investigation and send profoundly negative signals to witnesses.”

Thing is, Azzopardi has been doing this for months. Back in April, in the face of a new probe of Cuomo’s book deal, he called the investigations of the gov “a political pile-on,” noting that “both the comptroller and the attorney general have spoken to people about running for governor, and it is unethical to wield criminal referral authority to further political self-interest.”

Nor is Azzopardi the only one in the gov’s circle throwing mud. Page Six reported last week that Cuomo associates are spreading bogus rumors that former US Attorney Preet Bharara may run against the gov — a bid to discredit Bharara’s former No. 2 and successor, Joon Kim, who’s one of the two top outside lawyers James brought in to run her Cuomo investigation.

Back in May, we noted that Cuomo’s main “defense” in all these scandals is nothing but lies and rage. Let the record show that his team is offering one more counteroffensive: underhanded attacks on the investigators.

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