An Ipswich lawyer who worked with former mayor Paul Pisasale has been charged with extortion.
The ABC understands Cameron McKenzie was arrested this morning following a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) investigation.
The 35-year-old was granted watchhouse bail and is required to appear in court next month.
The CCC said its investigation remained ongoing and as the matter was now before the court it was unable to comment further.
McKenzie is a member of the Labor party who has made no secret of his political ambitions — earlier this year he told a media organisation he one day hoped to run for council.
A Labor party spokesman said McKenzie would now be served with a show cause notice as to why he should not be expelled from the party.
McKenzie is also the junior vice-president of the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"The Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry can only presume that this relates to a personal matter because we have no information other than what has been reported in the media," the organisation's president, Phillip Bell, said.
The ABC has attempted to contact McKenzie for comment.
