Today’s accountability news:

• Despite repeatedly suggesting he served in Vietnam, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal – the front-runner in the race to succeed Sen. Chris Dodd – never actually fought in the war, instead taking at least five deferments, reports The New York Times.
• Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., a candidate for the U.S. Senate, tried directing earmarks toward a developer who had provided gifts to the congressman’s associates, The Miami Herald writes. This included a $90,000 consulting fee and the use of a Cadillac for Meek’s mother.
• While publicly claiming to be in favor of financial reform efforts, Goldman Sachs is funding a strong behind-the-scenes lobbying effort to weaken the legislation, says the Huffington Post Investigative Fund.
• A study by Brandeis University researchers suggests the average white family is five times richer than the average African-American family of the same class, The Guardian reports.
• As small financial institutions have failed across the country, the FDIC has inherited some 250 CDOs that are potentially worthless, writes The Wall Street Journal.

These stories are part of our ongoing roundup of investigations from other news outlets. For more, visit our Investigations Elsewhere page.