As he gears up to run for governor, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has hired longtime Sen. Chuck Schumer adviser and former Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential spokesman Phil Singer as a communications consultant.

The hire was confirmed by Team Cuomo – his neutrally-named Cuomo 2010 committee in a brief statement.

“The Andrew Cuomo 2010 campaign will be retaining Phil Singer as a consultant to help with communications,” the statement sent by finance director Jennifer Bayer Michaels said.