Ken Paxton: Texas House votes to impeach Trump ally

Texas' Republican-run House of Representatives has voted to impeach state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who is accused of bribery and abuse of public trust.

Mr Paxton, an ally of former President Donald Trump, is now suspended from office, pending a trial in the Senate.

A two-thirds vote in the upper chamber - where Republicans also dominate - is required to permanently expel him.

Mr Paxton, aged 60, denies all the accusations against him.

Responding to a 121-23 vote in the House, Mr Paxton said in a statement: "The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just.

"It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning."

The House impeachment vote demonstrates a very public split between Texas Republicans.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump - who hopes to win a Republican nomination for the 2024 election - backed the embattled Texas attorney general.

Shortly before the vote, he wrote "free Ken Paxton" in a post on social media.