To the editor:

It’s been over four years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Citizens United decision that allowed unions, corporations and associations to spend unlimited amounts in elections, provided that they don’t coordinate their efforts with a candidate. Even before the Citizens United decision, big-money donors found loopholes to have greater influence over members of Congress. Now, candidates spend too much time courting wealthy donors rather than voters just to keep up with the vast amounts of money spent on elections. In at least 36 House and Senate races in 2012, more money was spent during the general election by outside groups than by the candidates themselves.