The judge overseeing an antitrust suit against Apple over e-book prices was told by a lawyer that two publishers that earlier settled with the Justice Department, Lagardère’s Hachette Book Group and News Corp.’s HarperCollins, are near a deal with 15 states.

They and CBS Corp.’s Simon & Schuster, also named in the antitrust suit, settled after the complaint was filed April 11. News Corp. owns The Post.