A federal judge has ruled that former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema can be sued in North Carolina under the state's "homewrecker" law, also known as alienation of affection. The lawsuit was filed by the ex-wife of Matthew Ammel, a member of Sinema's security detail with whom the former senator allegedly had an affair.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected Sinema's argument that she could not be sued in North Carolina because she lacked a connection to the state. The judge cited nine text messages Sinema sent to Ammel while he was in North Carolina, finding it implausible she was unaware of his location at the time. This ruling establishes North Carolina's jurisdiction over Sinema in this case.
The lawsuit alleges that Sinema pursued Ammel despite knowing he was married, and that the relationship caused the breakup of his marriage to Heather Ammel. According to the complaint, Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security team after retiring from the Army in 2022 and accompanied her on travel. The suit claims that Heather Ammel discovered romantic messages between her husband and Sinema in early 2024. It further alleges that Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring and Sinema provided him with a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he also worked as her bodyguard.
Sinema, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and Senate for one term that concluded early last year, has acknowledged a romantic relationship with Ammel. During a deposition, she stated that the relationship turned sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She also testified about subsequent sexual encounters in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not in North Carolina. The Ammels separated on November 1, 2024.
North Carolina is one of a limited number of states that permit a jilted spouse to sue a third party for alienating the affection of their spouse, seeking financial damages.