Bill de Blasio said Monday that it’s not his problem that his top spokeswoman was caught shacking up with Eliot Spitzer.
The mayor-elect hedged when asked whether he would keep Smith on staff after she caused the first scandal of his administration with her relationship, which was exposed by exclusive photos in The Post.
“I respect Lis as a professional, but I also respect her right to privacy. So I’m not going to get any further into it,” he said at a Brooklyn news conference announcing two appointments.
De Blasio said Smith’s future with him “is like any other personnel question” and added, “When it’s announcement day, you’ll know.”
He also refused to divulge whether he knew Smith was dating the married ex-governor, who resigned over a hooker scandal in 2008.
“This is not something I want to go into detail on,” de Blasio said.
“We’re here to talk about very serious matters facing our city . . . I’m just not going to get into individual, personal matters.”
Sources told The Post that Smith, 31, had bragged to colleagues on de Blasio’s campaign about “getting engaged” to a boyfriend — without revealing that Spitzer, 54, was her man.
Smith — who consults for Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a rising Democratic Party star and likely presidential candidate — even passed up lucrative opportunities in Washington, DC, to stay in New York and continue her May-December relationship, sources said Monday.
Smith, who had worked for President Obama’s campaign, initially told friends she wanted to return to DC because she specializes in campaign work, but her plans changed in recent weeks, the sources said.
A well-placed New York Democrat said Smith began seeing Spitzer sometime after the Love Gov. hired her to work on his bid for city comptroller this year.
They continued the relationship after Spitzer lost the Democratic primary and Smith went to work for de Blasio.
A Post photo shows Spitzer leaving Smith’s Soho apartment building before dawn last week.
They’ve also dined frequently at Le Pescadeux restaurant in the building since Smith moved in about two months ago, said its owner, Chuck Perley.
Last week, they visited the eatery twice, sitting at a corner table near the kitchen door, with Spitzer’s back to the dining room.
Official records show Spitzer paid Smith $30,000 to work on his failed political comeback, while the race’s winner, Scott Springer, spent $16,000 for consulting services from the SKDKnickerbocker public-relations firm.
De Blasio, meanwhile, paid Smith $20,000 for help with his general-election campaign against Republican Joe Lhota, the records show.
Spitzer and Smith were both lying low Monday, with Smith a no-show at de Blasio’s Brooklyn news conference.
There was also no sign of her at her apartment or her family’s spacious, white-stucco Tudor home in tony Bronxville, where mom Adrienne Smith refused to discuss her daughter’s personal life.
“That’s none of my business,” Adrienne said. “My daughter’s a very special person, and I’m proud of her.”
Smith — known for waging bitter Twitter wars with political foes — took to the social-media platform early in the day to send online hugs and kisses to former de Blasio campaign manager Bill Hyers after he praised her as “a great professional and a good friend.”
Smith later declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
On Sunday, Spitzer had his spokeswoman refer to Smith as a “friend” whom he holds “in high regard.”
He declined to comment further on Monday, spokeswoman Lisa Linden said.
His estranged wife, Silda, didn’t respond to messages left with her doorman, but a female neighbor sympathized with the state’s former first lady.
“I can’t imagine being in her position, you know, what he’s put her through,” said the woman, 61.
Additional reporting by Reuven Fenton, Laurel Babcock, Matt McNulty and Lia Eustachewich