Former United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema is being sued for at least $75,000 by the ex-wife of a former bodyguard, who claims the politician's romantic involvement destroyed her marriage.
The Core Allegations: A Marriage Allegedly Undermined
Heather Ammel filed the legal action, which contends she and her husband, Matthew Ammel, enjoyed a "good and loving marriage" until Senator Sinema intervened. The lawsuit asserts that Sinema, aware of his marital status, pursued a relationship with the bodyguard, a retired Army veteran.
Matthew Ammel was hired as part of Sinema's security detail after leaving the military in 2022. In this role, he accompanied the then-senator on official and personal trips to locations including Napa Valley, Las Vegas, and Saudi Arabia.
Escalating Intimacy and Professional Favours
The suit provides specific claims about how the alleged relationship developed. In early 2024, Heather Ammel reportedly discovered "romantic and lascivious" messages between her husband and Sinema on the encrypted Signal app.
By the summer of that year, her husband had stopped wearing his wedding ring. Concurrently, Sinema allegedly appointed him as a national security fellow in her Senate office, even while he continued working as a bodyguard for her re-election campaign.
The filing also states that Sinema paid for psychedelic treatment for Matthew Ammel, who suffers from post-traumatic stress, substance abuse issues, and traumatic brain injuries linked to his deployments in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Legal Venue and Political Aftermath
The lawsuit was initially filed in late 2025 in Moore County, North Carolina, but gained widespread attention this week after being moved to a federal court. North Carolina is among a few states with "alienation of affection" statutes, allowing a spouse to seek damages from a third party they blame for their marriage's collapse.
Sinema, who represented Arizona as an Independent until January 2025, did not seek re-election after a tumultuous term marked by her departure from the Democratic Party. Neither she nor her attorney responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
Since leaving Congress, Sinema has joined the Washington-based legal and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. Her reported lobbying work includes advocacy for data centre development and research funding for the psychedelic drug ibogaine.
