NY High Court Backs State Ethics Panel Investigating Cuomo (2)

A New York State ethics panel that was investigating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is constitutional and can continue its investigations, the state’s highest court ruled Tuesday.

While the law that established the ethics panel runs “very close to the boundary of permissible legislation, it is not ‘intrinsically a constitutional affront to the separation of powers doctrine,’” Court of Appeals Associate Judge Jenny Rivera wrote for the 4-3 court. “We therefore conclude that the Act is not unconstitutional in every conceivable application.”

The opinion overturns an appellate court ruling that the ethics panel’s structure was impermissible, which came after a ...