Gov. Kathy Hochul has promoted a major advocate of the state’s controversial bail-reform laws to become one of her top legal advisers — even as she claims to have vigorously worked to change the lax rules.

Joshua Norkin — the former project coordinator for the Decarceration Project at The Legal Aid Society and a prominent player in pushing for bail reform — was promoted to Hochul’s deputy counsel in July, according to his LinkedIn.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had appointed Norkin as assistant counsel for state housing and civil rights in 2019 after he left the Legal Aid Society.

Norkin’s promotion by Hochul was immediately ripped by bail-reform critics who blame the liberal law changes for a crime wave gripping New York City.

“It’s like putting an arsonist in charge of the Fire Department,” state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy, the GOP nominee for a House seat in the upstate 23rd Congressional District, said of Norkin’s appointment.

Rep. Lee Zeldin, who was stunned by a shooting outside his Long Island home Sunday, added, “From the terrible judgment Crime Wave Kathy showed choosing Brian Benjamin as her Lieutenant Governor, to her ridiculous promotion of Joshua Norkin up the ranks of her inner circle, it’s clear the pro-criminal policies of New York under her rule will keep getting worse with Hochul as Governor.”

Benjamin resigned his post in April after being indicted for alleged bribery.

A Cuomo press release in 2019 had heralded Norkin for developing a national model for overhauling “restrictive criminal justice laws.’’ The release also praised Norkin for launching the Legal Aid Society’s Decarceration Project that campaigned against the use of cash bail and pretrial incarceration in New York for most criminal defendants.

The bail reform law approved in 2019 — and twice amended following a firestorm of criticism — eliminated cash bail for nearly all non-violent and misdemeanor crimes.

Supporters of the law including Norkin said defendants should not be detained simply because they can’t afford to post bail and that the reform helps eliminate discrimination and criminalization of poverty.

Opponents have cited numerous examples of criminal defendants released pre-trial who committed more crimes while on the street, calling it revolving-door justice and argue the law should be overhauled or scrapped.

Hochul’s office Sunday defended Norkin’s promotion.

“Joshua Norkin is a highly qualified attorney with years of service to New York State who, in his new role, is continuing to work to support Governor Hochul’s agenda of keeping New Yorkers safe from crime and gun violence,” said Liz Fine, counsel to the governor.

News of Norkin’s promotion came the same day former US Rep. Peter King (R-LI) slammed Hochul for what he called her “surrender” to liberal lawmakers in Albany over the bail-reform measures.

Hochul’s office responded to King’s comments in an e-mail Sunday saying, “Governor Hochul’s top priority is to keep New Yorkers safe, which is why she worked with the legislature earlier this year to crack down on gun crimes and repeat offenders and further expand the types of cases where judges have the discretion to set bail.”

Hochul has said her tweaks to the bail law as part of the state budget law earlier this year hit the “sweet spot,” balancing public safety and fairness to criminal defendants.

The revisions allow judges to set bail for defendants in some cases who are charged with repeat offenses, hate crimes, and gun-related charges, and also consider whether someone’s criminal record makes them likely to do “harm” if released.

She also has blamed judges for misapplying the law.