Fresh court filings have revealed new details about former Senator Kyrsten Sinema's extramarital affair with her former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, who was married with children when their relationship began. The testimony, submitted to a federal court in North Carolina, is part of a lawsuit filed by Ammel's ex-wife.
A federal judge is set to consider whether the lawsuit, known as an "alienation of affection" claim, can proceed to trial. This type of lawsuit, a legal relic from the 19th century, allows a spouse to sue a third party blamed for the breakdown of their marriage. North Carolina is one of the few states that still permits such suits.
According to Sinema's sworn deposition, the romantic relationship was initiated by Matthew Ammel in the backyard of an Airbnb in Napa, California, on Memorial Day Weekend in 2024. Sinema stated that Ammel, then on her payroll, kissed her around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., after which they engaged in sexual relations for the first time. Sinema denied any prior flirting or romantic interest on her part, a detail that appears to contradict Ammel's earlier testimony suggesting Sinema had shown interest since they met in 2022.
Hearings this week at the U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will involve witness questioning and evidence presentation from both sides. The court will examine the location of communications between Sinema and Ammel, which could be critical to determining jurisdiction.
The affair reportedly continued in June 2024, during the wedding of CNN host Jessica Dean and Blackstone managing director Alex Katz in Manhattan. The couple allegedly engaged in sexual encounters in various U.S. cities, including Washington D.C., Aspen, Colorado, and Phoenix.
Discrepancies in testimony and the preservation of digital messages have complicated the timeline. Sinema conceded in her deposition that she failed to save some expiring messages on the encrypted app Signal, requiring reconstruction of events by Heather Ammel's legal team. The case hinges on demonstrating that the marriage had genuine affection, that this affection was diminished or destroyed, and that Sinema was the cause.
Heather Ammel testified that she saw an argument between her then-husband and Sinema at a U2 concert in Las Vegas in December 2023, but otherwise noticed nothing amiss. Months later, she reportedly intercepted a Signal message from Sinema to her husband reading, "Putting my hand on your heart. I'll see you soon. I miss you." Heather Ammel responded, "Are you sleeping with my husband?" to which Sinema did not reply.
Sinema's testimony indicates the relationship has continued without interruption since May 2024, with meetings occurring approximately twice a month in Arizona or California. Heather Ammel's lawyers argue that enough of the couple's contact occurred within North Carolina's jurisdiction to maintain the lawsuit there, citing a message where Sinema sent a photo of herself in a towel while Heather Ammel was in their kitchen.
Should the case proceed to trial, Sinema could face significant compensatory and punitive damages. Similar alienation of affection lawsuits in North Carolina have resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts.