Abbott's office says the governor will act against any group that violates state law
Greg AbbottGovernor of Texas, through press secretary Andrew Mahaleris
Responding to Texas Monthly, Abbott's press secretary says the governor will take action against any group that violates the state's constitution and laws, regardless of faith.
“Governor Abbott will take action against any group that seeks to violate our Constitution and laws, regardless of faith.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Paxton sued EPIC City developers for securities fraud after the state securities board concluded the units were not securities
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the developers of the EPIC City housing project near Plano for securities fraud in December 2025. The Texas State Securities Board says its staff had concluded the project's land units were not securities and told Paxton's office so before he filed. A Texas Monthly report says advisers to Gov. Greg Abbott pressed the agency to refer the case.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Texas Monthly investigation by Nicholas Gutteridge, based on internal emails, memoranda, calendars and interviews, including with former Texas securities commissioner Travis Iles. It reports how advisers to Gov. Greg Abbott were involved in state investigations of the East Plano Islamic Center and its EPIC City development, and includes a statement from the governor's press secretary.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Press secretary Andrew Mahaleris gave the statement to Texas Monthly, describing state agencies as "ultimately accountable" to Abbott and saying the governor has been clear that entities seeking to impose Sharia law are not welcome in Texas.
After the quotation
Texas Monthly reports that Mahaleris did not answer its other questions.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Texas government's pursuit of a securities fraud case against the EPIC City developers, including the role of the governor's advisers reported by Texas Monthly. The statement describes the advisers' involvement as routine and says the governor will act against any group that violates the law, so we labeled it Defended. The closest competing label is Challenged characterization; it loses because the statement does not dispute the reported facts and instead supports the actions taken.
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More from this case
Read the full caseState securities board says its staff found the EPIC City units were not securities
Texas State Securities Board
“After a months-long and thorough investigation, the staff in fact concluded that, given the evidence available to date, the sales of limited partnership interests did not constitute securities under the purview of the Texas Securities Act, despite being treated and marketed as such to investors.”Read statement
Paxton says EPIC City's leaders engaged in "a radical plot"
“The leaders behind EPIC City have engaged in a radical plot to destroy hundreds of acres of beautiful Texas land and line their own pockets”Read statement
Paxton says EPIC City developers "flagrantly and undeniably violated the law"
“After a thorough investigation, it has become clear that the developers behind EPIC City flagrantly and undeniably violated the law”Read statement
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- Abbott's office says the governor will act against any group that violates state law
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The Dispute Index. "Abbott's office says the governor will act against any group that violates state law". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5973-responding-to-texas-monthly-abbott-s-press-secretary