State Senator Bert Johnson says he plans to return to work on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he was released from jail.
The Highland Park Democrat is free on bond after appearing in federal court on Tuesday where he was formally charged with putting a phony employee on his public payroll.
A not-guilty plea was entered for Sen. Bert Johnson. He's accused of borrowing $14,000 from a woman and repaying her by putting her on his payroll as a community liaison.
The government says Glynis Thornton was paid $23,000 but did no work in 2014. She's been cooperating with investigators since getting caught in a separate corruption case involving bribes for a Detroit school principal.
Johnson declined to comment outside court. But his lawyer, Cyril Hall, says the senator can prove that Thornton performed work for his office.
