A lawyer who previously defended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial is publicly rejecting Paxton’s claims surrounding a proposed Muslim-centered development in North Texas, calling rhetoric about Sharia law and Muslim-only communities “bullshit.”
The comments came during a recent episode of the “Cogdell Law Uncensored” podcast, where Houston attorney Dan Cogdell sharply criticized Paxton’s public messaging about EPIC City, a proposed residential development associated with members of the East Plano Islamic Center that has become a political flashpoint among Texas Republicans.
Paxton, a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump in his U.S. Senate primary challenge against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, has repeatedly raised concerns about the project and launched state investigations tied to allegations involving religious discrimination, Islamic law and exclusionary practices.
Cogdell, who represented Paxton during his impeachment trial before the Texas Senate, said he believes the attorney general’s rhetoric surrounding the development is politically motivated and disconnected from the facts.
“What he’s done is he’s adopted this bullshit rhetoric that this Islamophobe Amy Mek put out there,” Cogdell said on the podcast. “Abbott swallowed it hook, line and sinker. And then Cornyn made a campaign issue of it. Paxton has made a campaign issue of it. And it’s all bullshit.”
Cogdell specifically rejected allegations that organizers are attempting to establish a Muslim-only enclave or implement Islamic religious law.
“These folks are not trying to have a no-go zone,” Cogdell said. “They’re not trying to invoke Sharia law. They’re not trying to have a Muslim-only community.”
He added that he does not believe Paxton genuinely believes the claims he has publicly promoted.
“I don’t believe that he believes that,” Cogdell said. “I think he’s taken that position to get elected. And I don’t think a politician should do that.”
The remarks are notable because Cogdell was part of the legal team that successfully defended Paxton during his 2023 impeachment proceedings, when the Texas Senate acquitted the attorney general on allegations that included abuse of office and bribery.
The proposed EPIC City development has drawn scrutiny from Paxton and other Texas Republican leaders, who have argued that questions surrounding governance, religious freedom and compliance with state law warrant investigation. Paxton’s office has announced multiple inquiries related to the project and publicly questioned whether aspects of the development could conflict with Texas law.
Supporters of the development have denied allegations involving Sharia law or religious exclusion, saying the project will comply with local, state and federal laws and is intended to serve a diverse community while accommodating Muslim families and religious practices.
The issue has increasingly become a campaign talking point in Texas Republican politics as candidates prepare for the 2026 election cycle, with Paxton, Cornyn and other statewide Republicans publicly weighing in on the development.
