COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — The developers behind EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centric community in Collin County, have hired high-profile Texas lawyer Dan Cogdell to represent the project. 

Cogdell, who was recently known for his 2023 representation of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his impeachment trial, called state opposition to the development “racial profiling” in a press release from EPIC. 

EPIC City is a proposed planned community located north of Josephine near the intersections of County Roads 850 and 695, WFAA previously reported. The East Plano Islamic Center recently purchased 402 acres of land and hopes to build 1,000 homes, parks and recreational areas surrounding a mosque and school. 

Last month, the proposed project drew the ire of Gov. Greg Abbot, who, alongside Paxton, announced that “a dozen state agencies are investigating” the proposed development, alleging “serious legal issues.”

Community Capital Partners and the East Plano Islamic Center hired the Houston-based lawyer to represent them while the project is under investigation.

“This project is simply the victim of racial profiling,” Cogdell said. 

Cogdell previously represented Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial and, in 2024, successfully defended Paxton against state securities fraud charges in Texas State court. He is also well known for representing a Branch Davidian leader who was acquitted of murder conspiracy and representing the only defendant in the Enron trial to be acquitted.

“EPIC City is a thoughtful community designed for families, just like hundreds of others in Texas. The only reason it is being unfairly targeted, is because there is a mosque in the plans instead of a church or a temple. That’s it,” Cogdell, principal and founder of Cogdell Law Firm said in the release. “This is fear mongering and political theater, and we intend to shut it down with the truth.”

The proposed development is in the planning phase, the release states. No applications have been filed and no construction has started, developers said. Despite this, opposition is picking up steam. 

“Our plans for this development opened the door for unexpected scrutiny,” said Chaudhary. “We know Dan is the right person to help us navigate through these challenges and his unmatched experience will serve our community well.”

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on Tuesday sent a letter to the representatives of the developers telling them that they didn’t have the permits necessary to begin construction on the project, WFAA previously reported. On Monday, Collin County residents packed a county meeting to voice opposition to the project. 

In the release, developers said the demand for the project is high. The first phase of housing in EPIC City, over 500 lots, sold out in six months, the release states. Developers are still accepting investors for the next phase of the development, the release states.