Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice’s campaign has finally released a copy of the “comparative” TV spot that started airing yesterday morning, which links her rival, Sen. Eric Schneiderman, to the man who has become Exhibit A for Albany corruption: Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.

Here’s the script:

“(Male voiceover): An Albany politician for attorney general?”

“Eric Schneiderman’s been a state senator for 12 years. He was one of the leaders who shut down the Senate for nearly four months when they couldn’t pass a budget on time…and cut a deal putting Pedro Espada in charge, who’s under investigation for tax fraud and money laundering.”

“Kathleen Rice is a prosecutor who’s put corruption public officials in prison, and she’ll fight Albany corruption as hard as she fought violent crime. Kathleen Rice for attorney general.”

Schneiderman’s campaign is characterizing this as an ill-timed slam and released the following statement condemning it that was signed by a slew of his “progressive” endorsers – from NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn to Sens. Jose Serrano and Liz Krueger to Espada’s primary challenger, Gustavo Rivera:

“”We find it extremely disturbing that in a Democratic primary between good Democrats, Ms. Rice would seek to divide our party by launching a fundamentally misleading, negative TV ad in the 11th hour of a substantive campaign (coincidentally as a new poll today shows Eric Schneiderman climbing into the lead).”

“Further, that she chose to launch this inappropriate attack on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah and the days in which we memorialize the 9/11 attacks, demonstrates particularly poor judgment and insensitivity. We strongly urge Ms. Rice to immediately discontinue this last-minute offensive type of campaigning.”

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