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CBS News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
DOJ ends investigation into Muslim-centered EPIC City project in North Texas
The U.S. Department of Justice has officially closed its investigation into EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centered community in North Texas. The project is affiliated with the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), one of the largest mosques in the region. The DOJ's decision comes after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn raised concerns about potential religious discrimination tied to the development. Attorney calls probe political Dan Cogdell, a criminal defense attorney representing both EPIC and the EPIC City organizers, called the investigation politically motivated. "Several politicians have tried to pervert these so-called investigations for their political benefit," Cogdell said. "Ultimately, I think it will backfire." He added that the DOJ's decision to drop the case is a win for the project and reaffirmed that the development will move forward. Community Capital Partners EPIC City still under state review EPIC City is planned for 400 acres in Josephine, pending approval from Collin County Commissioners. The developers, Community Capital Partners, say the community will be open to people of all faiths. However, the project still faces at least three ongoing investigations from state agencies, including the Texas Attorney General's Office and the Texas Workforce Commission. "Never in 42 years of practicing criminal defense have I seen the number and absurdity of the accusations lodged here," Cogdell said. "We will comply fully and completely." New law targets religious developments Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 4211, which his office says is designed to prevent developments like EPIC City from creating "no-go zones" by restricting land sales or rentals based on religious affiliation. Despite the bill's implications, Dan Cogdell, attorney for EPIC City, said the development supports the legislation. "Anyone is welcome to buy and live there," Cogdell said. "This is nothing more than a political opportunity for Abbott and others to claim they defeated an evil that never existed." CBS News Texas reached out to Rep. Candy Noble, the bill's author, for comment but has not yet received a response. In a statement, Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Gov. Abbott, said: "Governor Abbott was proud to sign HB 4211 into law last week to ensure developments like EPIC City are unable to create 'no-go zones' by selling or renting land only to individuals who subscribe to a developer's religious preference. Texas will continue to defend our communities from any threats posed by EPIC City or other entities seeking to create a discriminatory or illegal compound, and we will continue to monitor this proposed development for compliance with all Texas laws." Project delayed but still moving forward EPIC City organizers say they are still in the planning phase and have not yet submitted a permit application to the county. However, they admit the ongoing state investigations have delayed progress by several months. "Community Capital Partners is committed to building an inclusive community that follows the guidelines of the Fair Housing Act and we are glad the DOJ found that to be true in their investigation," Cogdell said.
Al Arabiya
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Justice Department Closes Investigation Into Muslim-Centered Community Near Dallas
The US Department of Justice has closed a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state's largest mosques near Dallas without filing any charges or lawsuits. The Justice Department had opened the investigation after US Sen. John Cornyn called for it, arguing that the development could discriminate against Christians and Jews. The developers of the proposed EPIC City community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center have complained they are being bullied by multiple federal and state investigations because they are Muslim. A June 13 Justice Department letter to Community Capital Partners, the group developing the project, noted the department is closing the investigation. 'CCP has affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development,' the letter said. The group wrote that they plan to revise and develop marketing materials to reinforce that message. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment further. The letter was first reported Wednesday by the Dallas Morning News. Community Capital Partners had said the development would adhere to the Fair Housing Act and any other state and federal guidelines and that the community would be open to members of all religions. The federal investigation had escalated pressure on the proposed EPIC City, which has faced steady criticism and multiple investigations. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP state officials have claimed the group is trying to create a community that excludes non-Muslims and would impose Islamic law on residents. The developers have said they are not seeking to impose religion on anyone and that the community would follow state and federal law. Among its chief critics has been the state's hard-right Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026. Dan Cogdell, an attorney for EPIC City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state Senate, noted how quickly federal officials had wrapped up their probe. 'None of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a Christian church or Jewish temple,' Cogdell said. 'The false accusations that have been swirling around the development were based solely on misinformation, lies, and false rumors,' Cogdell said. 'Frankly, the politicians that have repeated them without ever bothering to look at any fact should be embarrassed.' The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether funeral practices at the mosque were done legally. The status of those investigations remained unclear Wednesday. Cogdell said the developers will cooperate with anyone who asks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has criticized the federal and state probes as bullying the Muslim community and a violation of constitutionally protected religious expression. 'We welcome the dropping of this investigation and hope the DOJ's actions send a clear message to the governor and other officials in Texas that they should similarly drop their Islamophobic witch hunt targeting Muslims in that state,' said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. Plans for the mixed-use development include more than 1,000 homes and apartments, a faith-based school for kindergarten through 12th grade, a community college, assisted living for older residents, and athletics fields. The project may take years to finish. The developers have said they will not even start the initial permitting process for several more months. EPIC City would be near the community of Josephine, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Dallas.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Justice Department closes investigation into Muslim-centered community near Dallas
The U.S. Department of Justice has closed a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state's largest mosques near Dallas without filing any charges or lawsuits. The Justice Department had opened the investigation after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called for it, arguing that the development could discriminate against Christian and Jews. The developers of the proposed EPIC City community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center, have complained they are being bullied by multiple federal and state investigations because they are Muslim. A June 13 Justice Department letter to Community Capital Partners, the group developing the project, noted the department is closing the investigation. 'CCP has affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development,' the letter said. The group wrote that they plan to revise and develop marketing materials to reinforce that message. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment further. The letter was first reported Wednesday by the Dallas Morning News. Community Capital Partners had said the development would adhere to the Fair Housing Act and any other state and federal guidelines, and that the community would be open to members of all religions. The federal investigation had escalated pressure on the proposed EPIC City, which has faced steady criticism and multiple investigations. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP state officials have claimed the group is trying to create a community that excludes non-Muslims and would impose Islamic law on residents. The developers have said they are not seeking to impose religion on anyone, and that the community would follow state and federal law. Among its chief critics has been the state's hard-right Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026. Dan Cogdell, an attorney for EPIC City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state Senate, noted how quickly federal officials had wrapped up their probe. None of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a Christian church or Jewish temple, Cogdell said. 'The false accusations that have been swirling around the development were based solely on misinformation, lies and false rumors,' Cogdell said. 'Frankly, the politicians that have repeated them without ever bothering to look at any fact should be embarrassed.' The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether funeral practices at the mosque were done legally. The status of those investigations remained unclear Wednesday. Cogdell said the developers will cooperate with anyone who asks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has criticized the federal and state probes as bullying the Muslim community and a violation of constitutionally protected religious expression. 'We welcome the dropping of this investigation and hope the DOJ's actions send a clear message to the governor and other officials in Texas that they should similarly drop their Islamophobic witch hunt targeting Muslims in that state,' said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. Plans for the mixed-used development include more than 1,000 homes and apartments, a faith-based school for kindergarten through 12th grade, a community college, assisted living for older residents and athletics fields. The project may take years to finish. The developers have said they will not even start the initial permitting process for several more months. EPIC City would be near the community of Josephine, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Dallas.
Associated Press
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Justice Department closes investigation into Muslim-centered community near Dallas
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has closed a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state's largest mosques near Dallas without filing any charges or lawsuits. The Justice Department had opened the investigation after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called for it, arguing that the development could discriminate against Christian and Jews. The developers of the proposed EPIC City community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center, have complained they are being bullied by multiple federal and state investigations because they are Muslim. A June 13 Justice Department letter to Community Capital Partners, the group developing the project, noted the department is closing the investigation. 'CCP has affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development,' the letter said. The group wrote that they plan to revise and develop marketing materials to reinforce that message. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment further. The letter was first reported Wednesday by the Dallas Morning News. Community Capital Partners had said the development would adhere to the Fair Housing Act and any other state and federal guidelines, and that the community would be open to members of all religions. The federal investigation had escalated pressure on the proposed EPIC City, which has faced steady criticism and multiple investigations. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP state officials have claimed the group is trying to create a community that excludes non-Muslims and would impose Islamic law on residents. The developers have said they are not seeking to impose religion on anyone, and that the community would follow state and federal law. Among its chief critics has been the state's hard-right Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026. Dan Cogdell, an attorney for EPIC City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state Senate, noted how quickly federal officials had wrapped up their probe. None of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a Christian church or Jewish temple, Cogdell said. 'The false accusations that have been swirling around the development were based solely on misinformation, lies and false rumors,' Cogdell said. 'Frankly, the politicians that have repeated them without ever bothering to look at any fact should be embarrassed.' The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether funeral practices at the mosque were done legally. The status of those investigations remained unclear Wednesday. Cogdell said the developers will cooperate with anyone who asks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has criticized the federal and state probes as bullying the Muslim community and a violation of constitutionally protected religious expression. 'We welcome the dropping of this investigation and hope the DOJ's actions send a clear message to the governor and other officials in Texas that they should similarly drop their Islamophobic witch hunt targeting Muslims in that state,' said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. Plans for the mixed-used development include more than 1,000 homes and apartments, a faith-based school for kindergarten through 12th grade, a community college, assisted living for older residents and athletics fields. The project may take years to finish. The developers have said they will not even start the initial permitting process for several more months. EPIC City would be near the community of Josephine, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Dallas.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
D.O.J. Ends Inquiry of Housing Development by Texas Muslims
The Justice Department has quietly closed a short-lived investigation into a planned housing development in Texas with a mosque at its center, saying the developers had pledged to abide by federal fair-housing laws. The project, known as EPIC City, drew scrutiny from Republican activists and Texas leaders, who earlier this year accused its promoters of trying to create a community that would discriminate against non-Muslims and give Islamic law precedence over state and federal law. The state's governor, Greg Abbott, and attorney general, Ken Paxton, both Republicans, ordered a series of investigations into the developers and the East Plano Islamic Center, a mosque in Plano whose members were backing the project. The Trump administration soon followed with its own investigation a few weeks ago after a request from Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who is facing a fierce challenge from Mr. Paxton in the state's Republican primary. The Justice Department's decision to close its investigation appeared to put the Trump administration at odds with state leaders over the legality of the project, which is planned for a 400-acre field outside of Josephine, a small community northeast of Dallas. Its backers have insisted no laws were broken. In a letter dated June 13, the Justice Department said that the developer, Community Capital Partners, had 'affirmed that all will be welcome in any future development' and had promised to revise its marketing materials to 'reinforce that message.' 'Based on this information, the department is closing its investigation at this time,' Harmeet K. Dhillon, an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in the letter to the developer. Dan Cogdell, a lawyer representing the project, welcomed the quick resolution. 'All of the investigations spawn from the imagination of Governor Abbott,' Mr. Cogdell said. 'I've said since day one, there's no there, there. We're appreciative of a quick resolution and we expect more to come.' The offices of Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Paxton did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Mr. Abbott, Andrew Mahaleris, noted that a bill signed into law by the governor last week would 'ensure developments like EPIC City are unable to create 'no-go zones' by selling or renting land only to individuals who subscribe to a developer's religious preference.' He said the state would 'continue to monitor this proposed development for compliance with all Texas laws.'
