CHICAGO (AP) — Jurors in Chicago have begun hearing secret recordings at the heart of the government’s case against an Illinois lawmaker accused of taking a $7,000 bribe.

Federal prosecutors played around a dozen excerpts of secret recordings Monday — the third day of testimony at Rep. Derrick Smith’s trial.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that on one tape Smith can be heard talking about how to ask for a bribe. He suggests initially asking for $8,000 and says that’ll leave “room … to negotiate” the final bribe amount.

The Chicago Democrat has pleaded not guilty to receiving a bribe in 70 $100 dollar bills from a day care center. The facility turned out to be fictitious and part of an FBI sting.

A former campaign worker-turned-informant wore a wire to record Smith.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)