Attorney General Ken Paxton has upped the ante on his investigation into a controversial Muslim real estate venture known as EPIC City.
Paxton has sent formal records requests to four North Texas municipalities, Plano, Richardson, Wylie, and Josephine, as part of an ongoing investigation into potential violations of state law by EPIC’s organizers.
This isn’t the first probe into the development’s legality, however. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Paxton first kicked off an investigation into EPIC last month.
The development, which is affiliated with the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), has come under scrutiny following public remarks by Yasir Qadhi, a key figure associated with the project. Qadhi recently claimed that EPIC City enjoys the support of unnamed local officials, a statement that appears to have triggered the Attorney General’s latest move.
In a press release published on April 14, Paxton stressed the importance of transparency in government dealings with real estate developments.
“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. “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.”
The Attorney General’s office is now seeking all relevant communications between city leaders and representatives of EPIC, EPIC City, and Community Capital Partners, LP – a firm tied to the development.
While details on the nature of the alleged legal violations remain unclear, Paxton’s latest move shows growing scrutiny over how EPIC City has secured its land and whether any officials may have overstepped legal boundaries.
As of the time of publication, the cities named in the request have yet to issue public responses. It is also unknown whether any elected officials were personally named or targeted in the investigation.
EPIC has also not responded to inquiries for a comment on the recent investigations as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Attorney General’s Office has not yet provided a timeline for the completion of its investigation into EPIC. However, Paxton’s statement indicated that further action may follow depending on what the requested documents reveal about the development.