Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also requested documents from local officials on the proposed development in Collin County.
COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — Sen. John Cornyn Monday called on the Department of Justice to investigate a proposed Muslim-centric community in Collin County, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he’s expanding his investigation into the project.
Paxton said Monday he’s expanding his investigation into the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) development proposed in an unincorporated part of Collin County and asked for documents from local officials regarding the development. Specifically, Paxton requested documents from officials in Plano, Richardson, Wylie and Josephine after “an individual involved with EPIC City” claimed “to have support from local officials,” according to a press release.
EPIC recently bought just over 400 acres of property north of Josephine near the intersections of County Roads 850 and 695 for the proposed development that includes more than 1,000 homes, a school, retail areas, parks and more centered around a mosque.
The proposed development quickly drew the ire of state officials, with Gov. Greg Abbott announcing last month that a dozen state agencies were investigating “potential illegal activities conducted by EPIC and its affiliated entities.”
“If any local official is supporting or communicating with a real estate development that is under investigation for potential violations of state law, then it’s imperative that we are made aware of exactly what’s being communicated,” Paxton said in a statement. “We will thoroughly review these documents as part of our ongoing investigation into EPIC City and work to hold accountable anyone who breaks Texas law.”
“I write to recommend the Department of Justice open a civil rights investigation into whether a potential planned community in Texas would violate federal law,” Cornyn wrote in his letter. “Specifically, I am concerned that a master-planned ‘community of thousands of Muslims’ could violate the constitutional rights of Jewish and Christian Texans, by preventing them from living in this new community and discriminating against them within the community.”
Shortly after Cornyn’s request was made public, the Council on American-Islamic Relations sent its own letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, calling on the DOJ to reject Cornyn’s request.
“Senator Cornyn’s request is not only factually baseless. It weaponizes tired Islamophobic tropes to portray a peaceful, inclusive development project as suspicious simply because it is Muslim-led,” CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said in a statement. “Rather than targeting Muslim charities working to build family-centered communities, the Department of Justice should investigate Texas officials who appear to be violating the Constitution by singling out Muslims for political gain.”
Community Capital Partners, which has been in communication with local and regional community leaders to discuss plans and take input on the EPIC City development, said it’s “disheartened that our project has become fodder for pandering and political theater.”
“The consistent attacks and unwarranted investigations speak volumes about the state of politics and have little to do with our project, or our vision. We look forward to correcting the misinformation about EPIC City, and we will continue to work to create a diverse, safe and inclusive community — one in which everyone is welcome and people of every background, faith, and culture can live together in harmony,” Community Capital Partners said in a statement.
Cornyn and Paxton’s requests come after the developers behind EPIC City retained lawyer Dan Cogdell earlier this month to represent them amid the investigations. Codgell said, “this project is simply the victim of racial profiling.”
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) earlier this month sent a letter to representatives of the developers behind EPIC City informing them they didn’t have the permits necessary to begin construction despite the developers acknowledging earlier this month that the project is in the planning phases, applications haven’t been filed and construction hasn’t started.
Collin County residents also packed a recent county meeting, with many voicing their opposition to the project.
