New York’s highest court rejected the former governor’s push to undermine an ethics commission that had been investigating a $5.1 million book deal he received for a memoir.

ALBANY — The Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled 4-3 that New York’s ethics commission was not formed in violation of the state constitution, overturning two lower court rulings in a long-running legal battle between former Gov.

The Court of Appeals ruled the structure of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government does not violate the separation of powers laid out in the state constitution.