Federal court allows alienation of affection lawsuit against Sinema
Federal court allows North Carolina alienation of affection lawsuit against Sinema to proceed.
Event / Politics
Kyrsten Sinema Alienation Lawsuit
Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema faces a lawsuit under North Carolina's alienation of affection statute filed by Heather Ammel over a relationship with Matthew Ammel, a security detail member. A federal judge ruled North Carolina has jurisdiction based on text messages sent while Ammel was in the state.
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2026-09-06 to 2026-11-07 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 6 Sept, 01:45 UTC
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What happened
Matthew and Heather Ammel separate
Matthew and Heather Ammel separated on November 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026.
Kyrsten Sinema acknowledges sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel, her security detail member
Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema acknowledged having a sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel, a member of her security detail. In a July 31, 2025 deposition, Sinema stated that the relationship became sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She reported subsequent sexual encounters with Ammel in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but stated they never had sexual encounters in North Carolina.
U.S. District Judge rules former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina's alienation of affection law
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon ruled that former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina's alienation of affection statute. The judge rejected Sinema's argument that North Carolina lacked jurisdiction over her, finding that nine text messages she sent to Matthew Ammel while he was in North Carolina established sufficient connection to the state. Bragdon found it implausible that Sinema was unaware of Ammel's whereabouts when sending these messages.
Heather Ammel files civil lawsuit against Kyrsten Sinema for alienation of affection
Heather Ammel filed a civil lawsuit against former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema seeking financial damages under North Carolina's alienation of affection statute. The complaint alleges that Sinema interfered with Heather and Matthew Ammel's marriage, which Heather describes as having been characterized by genuine love and affection before Sinema's interference. The suit claims Sinema pursued Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married.
Matthew Ammel given new position in Kyrsten Sinema's Senate office
During the summer of 2024, Matthew Ammel was given a position as a national security fellow in Kyrsten Sinema's Senate office while also continuing to work as a bodyguard for her campaign. Around the same time, he stopped wearing his wedding ring.
Heather Ammel discovers romantic messages between Sinema and Matthew Ammel
In early 2024, Heather Ammel discovered romantic and sexually explicit messages exchanged between her husband Matthew Ammel and Kyrsten Sinema over the Signal messaging application.
Matthew Ammel joins Kyrsten Sinema's security team after Army retirement
Matthew Ammel joined Kyrsten Sinema's security team in 2022 after retiring from the U.S. Army. As a member of her security detail, he accompanied Sinema on domestic and international travel.
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