Latest news with #Cogdell
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Muslim-centered EPIC City now under DOJ investigation, Sen. Cornyn says
The Brief The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into EPIC City, according to Senator John Cornyn. Some Texas leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have raised concerns the proposed community could try to enforce Sharia law. A lawyer for EPIC City says the community is being racially profiled. JOSEPHINE, Texas - The Department of Justice is investigating a proposed Dallas-area community centered around a mosque, according to Senator John Cornyn. Several Texas officials have brought up concerns about the planned community in Josephine, claiming the group behind the community is trying to create a Muslim-exclusive community that would make residents follow Islamic law. Cornyn requested a DOJ investigation into EPIC City last month, bringing up concerns that the community could discriminate based on faith. Senator Cornyn announced that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is opening the investigation. What they're saying "Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no place in the Lone Star State. Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under the Trump administration, they will be," Cornyn said in a statement. The other side EPIC City and Community Capital Partners Inc. (CCP) hired high-profile attorney Dan Cogdell in April to represent them in Texas investigations over the financial and free housing laws and whether the mosque has conducted illegal funerals. Cogdell called the investigations a result of "racial profiling." The lawyer says the developers have "done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations-regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are." Cogdell says none of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a church or temple. "These folks are US Citizens, law-abiding and Texans," he said. Cogdell called claims from some, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, that EPIC is trying to enforce Sharia law "dangerous." The backstory EPIC City is a planned development near Josephine, Texas, in Collin and Hunt counties about 40 miles northeast of Dallas. According to the development's website, it will feature a new mosque, single- and multifamily homes, a community college, schools, businesses, a school and parks. Developers told Collin County commissioners that the development was still in the planning stage, and they weren't ready to apply for permits. The development sold out its first phase of development, around 500 lots, within six months. Developers are still accepting investors for the second phase of the development. "The vision for EPIC City is simple," CCP President Imran Chaudhary said. "We want to build an inclusive community, one in which people of every background, faith, and culture can live together in harmony." EPIC Ranches is another development near EPIC City that offers larger plot sizes of up to an acre and townhome sites that are about a half mile away from EPIC City. Dig deeper In addition to Cornyn, EPIC City has drawn the attention of Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas leaders. EPIC City has drawn the attention of Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas leaders. The developers and East Plano Islamic Center have also been targeted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality who sent a letter to CCP about the permits required to create a municipal utility district. Gov. Greg Abbott has also asked the Texas Rangers to investigate the mosque and related businesses. In a post about EPIC City on social media, Abbott commented"Sharia law is not allowed in Texas." The mosque was also sent a letter from the Texas Funeral Service Commission and has drawn the attention of the Texas Workforce Commission. The Source Information in this article comes from statements made by Sen. John Cornyn. The Associated Press received statements from EPIC lawyer Dan Cogdell. Information on EPIC City and previous investigations come from past FOX 4 coverage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
San Francisco Chronicle
12-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Cornyn of Texas says federal probe started into Muslim-centered community near Dallas
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state's largest mosques near Dallas, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said Friday. Cornyn requested the federal probe of the development last month, citing concerns it could discriminate against Christians and Jews. He announced in a post on X that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had notified him of the investigation. The developers of the proposed planned community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center, which has not yet been built, have said they are being bullied because they are Muslim. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to confirm Cornyn's announcement. A federal probe would further escalate pressure on the proposed EPIC City, which is already facing mounting criticism and multiple investigations from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP state officials who claim the group is trying to create a Muslim-exclusive community that would impose Islamic law on residents. Among its chief critics is the state's hard-right Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026. 'Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no home in Texas," Cornyn, of Texas, wrote in his post on X. 'Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under (President Donald Trump's) administration, they will be.' Dan Cogdell, an attorney for EPIC City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state Senate, said the developers have 'done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations-regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are.' The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether the mosque has conducted illegal funerals. Cogdell has said none of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a church or temple. The attacks on the project about Islamic law and other claims 'are not only completely without merit and totally misleading but they are dangerous as well,' Cogdell said Friday. 'These folks are US Citizens, law abiding and Texans.' The Council on American-Islamic Relations in the Dallas area also has criticized the state probes as bullying the Muslim community and a violation of constitutionally protected religious expression.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Muslim community EPIC City hires lawyer amid Texas investigations
(NewsNation) — A legal battle is brewing between a planned Muslim-centric community and the state of Texas. In 2024, the East Plano Islamic Center mosque announced plans to build a 400-acre community near Josephine, Texas. The project, named EPIC City, would contain about 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, shops, a community college and a mosque. 'Our vision is rooted in creating a safe and purpose-built environment that fosters growth, connection, and prosperity for all who call EPIC City home,' its official website reads. EPIC City is not exclusively for Muslims. Measles vaccination clinics hit by funding cuts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has launched more than a dozen state investigations against the development, claiming that EPIC City officials want to impose Sharia law within the community. EPIC City developers said that is simply not true, and its newly-hired attorney Dan Cogdell has called the state's opposition to the community flat out 'racial profiling.' 'If this were a Presbyterian church in Red Oak or a Catholic church in Waxahachie, we wouldn't be having this conversation,' he said on Friday's airing of 'Morning in America.' 'It's because they're Muslim. It's just that simple,' Cogdell added. Cogdell told NewsNation the community does not intend to impose Sharia law as the state of Texas accuses. 'They have no intentions of that. There are 7,000-10,000 that attend the current mosque. There are lawyers, judges, doctors, politicians that attend that church,' he said. 'It's just absurd that that allegation is even being made at this point.' Suspected Tren de Aragua members arrested during FBI raid in Texas Abbott is demanding the developers behind EPIC City stop construction at the planned community within a week. An April 1 press release from the governor said 'the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found that the East Plano Islamic Center and affiliated entities have not obtained the required authorizations or permits needed for construction.' Those permits are a non-issue, as 'they haven't even started construction,' according to Cogdell. 'Right now, the property is a cow field. I mean, what are the rangers trying to look for? A cow paddy? There are no dead bodies there, there is no meth lab there,' he previously told NewsNation. 'It's an empty pasture in north Texas.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Attorney for mosque, developers behind EPIC City accuse governor of spreading lies about project
The developers behind a proposed Muslim community called EPIC City have hired high-profile attorney Dan Cogdell to help them navigate multiple state investigations. Cogdell accused Gov. Greg Abbott of spreading lies about the project at a press conference on Thursday. "To have people who are of a different faith than some folks to be basically terrorized because of false information put out by the governor is an insult," Cogdell said. "It's a shame, and it needs to stop." Cogdell, who now represents the East Plano Islamic Center and Community Capital Partners, the development group behind EPIC City, says his clients have been receiving dozens of death threats because of misinformation about the project. "These aren't foreign adversaries," said Cogdell. "These are Texans. These are Americans. These are United States citizens." Cogdell believes EPIC City is the victim of racial profiling. It's a proposed Muslim community that would include a thousand homes, a mosque, apartments, a school and more on 400 acres near Josephine in Collin County. Developers said it will be open to anyone. "All they want to do is to build a community that allows them to live together with people who value family and faith," Cogdell said. The community, which is only in the planning phase, has received criticism from some politicians and some residents. Abbott has directed multiple state agencies to investigate EPIC for potential criminal activities. He also ordered developers to cease construction. "But spoiler alert, they haven't started construction, and they haven't even applied for the permits," Cogdell said. "For him to say 'Stop it, or the full weight of the law will come down on you' is just utter nonsense. It's insane…. He's authorized the Texas Rangers to investigate. Really? It's a field." Abbott also accused EPIC of trying to circumvent state laws in order to implement sharia law. "That's a lie," said Cogdell. "That's an absolute lie. No one associated with EPIC, no one associated with that community follows Sharia law or is in favor of Sharia law." Cogdell, who recently represented Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his impeachment trial, said his clients are fully cooperating with all state investigations. "You want to come to the property?" he said. "Call me. Set it up. You want to come to the mosque? Call me. Set it up. 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." CBS News Texas reached out to the Governor's Office about this. We were referred to their previous comments about the East Plano Islamic Center and EPIC City proposal. The governor believes the group behind the project is operating a funeral home illegally without a license, potentially misleading investors , and potentially breaking state fair housing laws, among other allegations . The Governor's Office has not provided evidence to support these claims.
USA Today
27-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
After Trump WNC visit, protesters call for further FEMA hotel voucher extensions
After Trump WNC visit, protesters call for further FEMA hotel voucher extensions ASHEVILLE - About 40 people gathered at Pack Square Plaza downtown on Jan. 24 to demand an extension of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. The protest came on the immediate heels of President Donald Trump's visit to Swannanoa. Protestors, led by the Helene Survivors Committee, braced against the cold, holding signs that said, "housing is a human right!" and "WNC needs full federal relief now!" A Jan. 22 news release ahead of the protest said it was already being organized before Trump's visit was announced. The short-term sheltering program pays for hotel rooms for homeowners and renters displaced by Helene. Though FEMA reports aiding over 13,000 Western North Carolina households since early October, for some it has been a source of confusion and frustration. Among the organizers was Maryjo Tucker. She said she was part of the TSA program and was deemed ineligible due to a missed inspection. Tucker said her voucher ended Jan. 14, but community members paid for the room for several nights, and now she's using reward points to stay at the hotel. Once that ends, she doesn't know where she'll go. She said the protest was calling for more assistance, be it local, state or federal aid. "That's the main point today: More housing now," Tucker said. More: Roughly 3,000 have left FEMA Helene hotels this month; over 2,700 remain. What to know 'We need actual action' Trump got a few shoutouts in the afternoon's chants as protesters called for more help — like, "Trump, Trump, can't you see? We need aid in WNC." "This is not a photo-op, we need actual action. We need money. We need resources. We need our community members to not be thrown out in the cold. Isn't that right?" organizer Cody Cogdell said over the mic. Cogdell pointed to Trump's proposal that states respond to their own disasters rather than the federal government. "Like the state has helped us," Cogdell said. "Whether it's the federal government or the state, the problem still remains that our system does not work for people, it works for profit. We need a new system that works for the people." Trump isn't worried about "bad outcomes," Cogdell said. "He's worried about bad press." How many people are in the TSA program? There have been multiple extensions as people have urged the agency for more time. FEMA posted on the social platform X Jan. 23 that the program was extended through May 26 at the request of Gov. Josh Stein. As of Jan. 20, FEMA said there are 2,700 households in the program. Of those, it said 740 are no longer eligible to remain in the TSA program. After a recent change, instead of seven days, survivors who are no longer eligible for the program will have a three-week notice, the agency said. Here's the TSA program's eligibility standards: A home inspection indicated no eligible damages to a home or rental unit caused by Helene. A home inspection determined their home is now habitable. FEMA has been unable, after multiple attempts from case worker or inspector, to reach the survivor. A survivor has missed multiple home inspections. A survivor withdrew from FEMA's Individual Assistance program. A survivor was unhoused prior to the disaster. 'I want to be clear, this program is not ending for Western North Carolina,' Federal Coordinating Officer Brett Howard said of TSA in the Jan. 20 release. 'We understand the great need survivors have at the time and this program will last as long as necessary. That said, the length of eligibility for an individual survivor will be based on their individual circumstances. FEMA staff are working daily with survivors and on their cases to help them find permanent housing solutions.' FEMA has provided more than $316 million in cash grants to Western North Carolina survivors, including more than $6.2 million in rental assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration has also approved more than $213 million in low-interest loans to help survivors. Those loans are 0% interest for the first year. More: Which Asheville city parks are still closed? Staff give updates on FEMA reimbursement More: Trump in Asheville updates: President to get briefing on Helene recovery, visit with families Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@ or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
