A federal judge has ruled that former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina's "homewrecker" law, also known as alienation of affection, over her alleged romantic relationship with a married member of her security detail.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected Sinema's argument that she lacked sufficient connection to North Carolina to be sued in the state. The judge found that nine text messages Sinema sent to Matthew Ammel while he was in North Carolina provided the court with jurisdiction over her, stating it was implausible she was unaware of Ammel's location when she texted him.
The lawsuit was filed by Heather Ammel, Matthew Ammel's ex-wife, who alleges that Sinema interfered with her marriage. North Carolina is one of a few states that permit a spouse to sue a third party for causing the breakup of their marriage.
Heather Ammel's complaint states that her marriage was "good and loving" before Sinema pursued Matthew Ammel, despite knowing he was married. Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security team after retiring from the Army in 2022 and accompanied her on travel.
According to the lawsuit, Heather Ammel discovered "romantic and lascivious" messages exchanged between her husband and Sinema in early 2024. The complaint further alleges that Matthew Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring that summer, and Sinema provided him with a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he also worked as a bodyguard for her campaign.
During a deposition, Sinema described sexual encounters with Matthew Ammel, stating their relationship turned sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She testified that they later had sexual encounters in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not in North Carolina.
The Ammels separated on November 1, 2024. Sinema, an independent, represented Arizona in the U.S. House and later the Senate for one term that concluded early last year.