A high-profile Texas attorney retained by the East Plano Islamic Center and the developer behind the planned EPIC City project outside of Dallas accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of ‘gubernatorial hate speech’ after he initiated a series of state investigations against the groups.
Related:EPIC City: A timeline of Muslim-centric neighborhood plans, leaders’ responses
Attorney Dan Cogdell, who represents the mosque and Community Capital Partners LP, lashed out at the Republican governor, accusing him of “pandering to a far Right base” in public statements about the project. Codgell represented Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment proceedings. He’s also won acquittals in the Enron-Merrill Lynch trial and a criminal case following the Branch Davidian showdown.
“My mission here today is to try and get some truth out,” Cogdell said. “What’s happened today, primarily at the governor’s office, is anything but the truth has been spewed out.”
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Community Capital Partners, formed by some members of the East Plano Islamic Center, hopes to build more than 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, a mosque, elderly and assisted living, apartments, clinics, retail shops, a community college and sports fields on 402 acres in Collin and Hunt counties.
The East Plano Islamic Center is one of the largest mosques in North Texas. Imran Chaudhary, president of Community Capital Partners, said in a statement that his group plans to “build an inclusive community, one in which people of every background, faith, and culture can live together in harmony.”
Related:Gov. Abbott directs Texas Rangers to investigate EPIC for ‘potential criminal activities’
Cogdell said his clients at Community Capital Partners are “law-abiding Texans, law-abiding Americans and law-abiding Muslims.”
“I’m ashamed. I’m ashamed of the falsehoods that Abbott’s office has been putting out. It’s nonsense,” he said. “To call this a compound is an outright lie. And it’s an insult, and it’s doing nothing but try to demonize faithful, religious, honest, hard-working people.”
Representatives for Paxton did not respond to inquiries from The Dallas Morning News. A spokesperson for Abbott provided no further comment.
Representatives for Community Capital Partners said during a Collin County Commissioners meeting earlier this week that the project is in the planning phase. No applications or paperwork have been filed. No construction has begun.
Over 500 lots in EPIC City sold out in the first six months, developers said. Community Capital Partners continues to accept investors for the next phase of EPIC City and the first phase of EPIC Ranches, a development just down the road, the firm said.
Related:Gov. Abbott calls for construction to stop at EPIC City. Developer says it hasn’t begun
Cogdell said members of Community Capital Partners and EPIC have received “dozens” of death threats as a result of Abbott’s actions.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, the mosque’s board of directors said it is regularly receiving hate calls and death threats. Its leaders’ home addresses have been shared, jeopardizing the safety of their families.
“You want to come tour the property, call me. Set it up. You want to come to the mosque, call me. Set it up,” Cogdell said, addressing the governor. “But quit tweeting lies, false information and nonsense, because my clients right now, what they are doing is they are suffering from essentially gubernatorial hate speech.
“They’re getting death threats,” he continued. “Their families are being antagonized. Their property is getting picketed. They’re afraid for their lives because of the falsehood that the governor’s office has started. That’s nonsense. That’s not Texan. That’s not American. That’s nonsense, and it needs to stop.”
Cogdell was the lead criminal defense lawyer for Paxton during the 2023 impeachment trial before the state Senate. Paxton was acquitted of all articles of impeachment.
Last year, Cogdell represented Paxton against state securities fraud charges brought against Paxton by special prosecutors in state court.
Cogdell reached a deal with the state where all felony charges would be dropped.
Investigations
Abbott announced Monday he has directed the Texas Rangers to investigate the mosque and related businesses for “potential criminal activities.”
At least four other investigations into EPIC are being led by Paxton, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas State Board of Securities and the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Abbott previously said in an X post that a “dozen” state agencies were investigating.
Paxton announced the first investigation last Tuesday. The state’s top prosecutor requested documents from Community Capital Partners related to the EPIC City development. The request is part of Paxton’s investigation into whether the group is violating state consumer protection laws.
Abbott announced last Wednesday that the Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter, alleging the mosque was operating a funeral home without a license.
The East Plano Islamic Center said in a statement Thursday that due to this letter and “hateful attacks,” it has stopped funeral prayers for loved ones.
The Texas State Securities Board launched its investigation last Thursday into potential failures to “comply with applicable state and federal securities requirements, including protections against fraud.” In a news release, Abbott said the mosque and affiliated companies may be misleading investors.
On Friday, the Texas Workforce Commission announced it was investigating EPIC and Community Capital Partners to determine if the parties violated any fair housing laws.
Community Capital Partners told The News in February that the organization would adhere to the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits the denial of housing to a person based on their religion and other protected classes.
The organization stated it “will not enforce blanket bans on any group of people, but we will conduct thorough individualized assessments of prospective buyers to ensure they align with our goals of safety and security.”
“We believe in the U.S. Constitution, the freedom of religion it protects and the laws of this land,” the mosque’s board of directors said in a Thursday statement. “We abide by state and federal laws and have nothing to hide.”
Cogdell said Thursday there are no formal criminal allegations against the group. He said he hopes there will be no formal allegations “because I don’t think anything has occurred.”
“(Abbott’s) authorized the Texas Rangers to investigate,” Cogdell said. “Really? It’s a field. The old adage used to be — one riot, one Ranger. Is the new adage — one cow patty, one Ranger?”
