Logan Mayor Luke Smith is accused of lying to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) in a hearing related to the investigation into donations focusing on the March 2016 council elections.

Smith has been charged with official corruption, failing to correct his council register of interests and two counts of perjury.

The CCC alleges the 48-year-old lied to Operation Belcarra, which had been investigating the conduct of some candidates for the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Logan councils.

Operation Belcarra was looking at whether Smith had influenced development decisions to benefit campaign donors.

The CCC found the company Logan Futures created an "artificial separation" between Smith and his financial backers, which reduced the transparency of donations.

The company was set up to direct donations and pay campaign expenses and received $377,883 from dozens of property developers and businesses, the CCC found.

"The amount received by Councillor Smith was the most money received by any single candidate or group of candidates in the state, and was over three times the donations received by each of the other four mayoral candidates," the report said.

Hours after charges were laid and Smith was granted bail, he said on social media he would be vigorously defending himself.

"I have been willingly assisting the CCC with their investigation," he said.

"To this day I have not been given details of allegations behind these charges but I will be absolutely fighting this to the end."

Smith is the third southeast Queensland mayor to be charged by the CCC after former Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and sacked Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor Chris Loft were also slapped with various offences.

Pisasale is accused of official corruption, fraud, misconduct in public office and perjury, while Loft is facing five charges including including misconduct in office and disclosure of official secrets.

Queensland Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe previously intervened in the case of Mr Loft and removed him from office, but said he wouldn't do that in the case of Mr Smith despite the charges against him.

"That's not my position to do so, it's a matter for Mr Smith to take whatever action he believes is in the best interests of the people of Logan," Mr Hinchliffe said on Monday.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate was also investigated and admitted to not using a dedicated bank account during the election, but said he self-funded his campaign and denied receiving any donations.

Smith's arrest also comes less than two months after Logan council controversially voted to oust chief executive Sharon Kelsey, who cooperated with the Operation Belcarra investigation.

Acting on the watchdog's recommendation, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in October introduced legislation banning political donations from property developers, which is due to be voted on in state parliament by May.

Smith is scheduled to front Beenleigh Magistrates Court on April 17.

Australian Associated Press