State Rep. Derrick Smith pleaded not guilty to a federal bribery charge during his Monday arraignment.
Smith was indicted after allegedly accepting a $7,000 bribe from undercover officers. His next court date was scheduled for May 16.
"I intend to stand tall," he said.
Smith was a no-show last week at a hearing with the Special House Investigative Committee looking into whether Smith should be ousted from the House after his indictment.
According to federal authorities, one of Smith's former campaign workers, who was working with investigators, approached Smith with information about a day care owner who was seeking a state grant to make repairs on the facility.
The campaign worker, however, happened to be working undercover with the FBI and the story about the day care operator was a ruse.
The indictment asks Smith to give back $4,500 in unrecovered proceeds of the alleged bribe payment. He could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty.
Smith this month returned to work in Springfield after staying out of sight since being indicted. Smith has vowed to stay on the job despite the accusations.
