'We won't have Sharia law in Texas': Texas AG Paxton defends investigation into Muslim EPIC City development

The East Plano Islamic Center, a prominent mosque in Plano, Texas, is poised to build a 402-acre city called EPIC City, complete with a mosque, 1,000+ homes, a K-12 faith-based school, a community college, retail shops, parks, and senior housing. The project aims to serve the growing Muslim population in the region.

Unsurprisingly, the plans have been met with intense blowback from the surrounding communities and political figures alike. Back in February, Governor Greg Abbott (R) made it clear in an X post that the Lone Star State doesn’t tolerate Sharia law, the legal and ethical framework central to the Muslim faith. Polygamy, different rules for women, free speech restrictions, and violent punishments are some of the practices common in Sharia law that would be considered incompatible with U.S. law.

The project has been stalled by a number of investigations launched by various state agencies, one of them being the attorney general’s office.

Attorney General Ken Paxton recently joined the “Glenn Beck Program” to share the details of what’s going on with the investigations surrounding EPIC City.

“[Mormons] crossed the mountains and started their own community in Salt Lake, but they don't have a Mormon separate law. It's all based on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” says Glenn, but “is this that kind of community?”

“I don’t know the answer, and I do agree with you. We are a free country,” says Paxton, citing the religious freedom the First Amendment protects.

“On the other hand, you're right. We have laws in this country, and those laws matter. The Constitution matters, and if you're not following the laws of our country, then we're going to have some controversy and some contention,” he adds.

But there’s an ironic twist in this investigation: The attorney representing EPIC City and Community Capital Partners, LP, the corporate entity behind EPIC City, is Dan Cogdell, the same high-profile lawyer who defended Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial.

Paxton tells Glenn that there could be some conflict of interest.

Glenn points out that Cogdell is claiming that “any investigation is just racial profiling.”

“I’m so sick of that stuff because I don't think that it is racial profiling. I think we have reason to be concerned,” he says, pointing to Europe, which has allowed Muslim communities to completely overrun certain regions, as an example of what we don’t want America to become.

“Sharia law is taking over whatever country they're in,” Paxton agrees. “The rule of law and our Constitution, what our founders put together — it is so beautiful and wonderful and given us freedom for so long. We're not going to sacrifice that for Sharia law. It's just not going to happen in Texas.”

Glenn’s next question is: But how do you actually know if Sharia law is in the plans for EPIC City?

“‘How to bring Sharia law into Texas’ — you're not going to find that pamphlet,” he says, so “what could you possibly find that would be solid enough to say no?”

“We're going to be looking at what people are actually doing out there. … How are [the developers] implementing this? Are they discriminating based on whether you are a part of a certain religion, because that would create issues with fair housing laws,” says Paxton. “We're going to be looking at what is the actual practice, not what are you saying. Not what is your promotional material.”

To hear more about the investigations surrounding EPIC City, Paxton’s thoughts on Cogdell representing his opposing party, and his plans to challenge John Cornyn for his U.S. Senate seat, watch the clip above.

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