To the Editor:

Re “The Cynicism of ‘Everything Is Rigged’” (Op-Ed, Aug. 26):

Greg Weiner does a disservice to reality by arguing that corruption is somehow a lonely stranger to America’s political system these days. An Everest of evidence exists of the corrosive impact of influence-peddling and special-interest money, of back-room deals in which insiders manipulate bills voted on by Congress and state legislatures, of blatant self-dealing and conflicts of interest spinning out from the revolving door between industry and the regulatory community.

This is about systemic “legal graft” — nuanced, insidious and widespread — and to suggest otherwise is actually shallow and cynical.

Lee C. Seglem

Princeton, N.J.

The writer is executive director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

To the Editor:

Greg Weiner is correct: Not everything is rigged in our political system. Only the most important things — like one person, one vote. He makes a point that policies come from politicians who must get the votes of their constituents. But he neglects to point out that voter suppression and gerrymandering are sometimes the reason those politicians are elected.