A federal judge has ruled that former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued in North Carolina under the state's "homewrecker" law. The lawsuit, filed by the ex-wife of a former member of Sinema's security detail, seeks financial damages from the former Arizona senator.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected Sinema's argument that she could not be sued in North Carolina because she has no connection to the state. The judge cited nine text messages Sinema sent to Matthew Ammel while he was in North Carolina, asserting that these communications give the state jurisdiction over her. The court found it implausible that Sinema was unaware of Ammel's whereabouts when she sent these messages.
North Carolina is one of a few states that allow spouses to sue a third party for "alienation of affection" if they are held responsible for the breakup of a marriage. The lawsuit alleges that Heather Ammel and Matthew Ammel had a strong marriage before Sinema interfered.
According to the complaint, Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security team in 2022 after retiring from the Army. He accompanied her on various domestic and international trips. In early 2024, Heather Ammel discovered messages between her husband and Sinema, which the lawsuit described as "romantic and lascivious." The suit also states that Matthew Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring during that period, and Sinema hired him as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work as her bodyguard.
Sinema, in a deposition, described the relationship as becoming sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She stated that sexual encounters also occurred in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not in North Carolina. The Ammels separated on November 1, 2024.
Sinema represented Arizona in the U.S. House and later the Senate for one term, which concluded in early 2024.