Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema testified that she repeatedly engaged in sexual relations with her then-married security guard, according to federal court filings in a lawsuit filed in North Carolina. Heather Ammel, the ex-wife of the security guard, Matthew Ammel, is suing Sinema, alleging the former senator broke up her 14-year marriage.
Sinema, who left office at the beginning of 2026, has had her legal team seek dismissal of the lawsuit, which was initially filed in North Carolina state court under that state's alienation of affection law before being moved to federal court. Sinema's attorneys argued that the alleged relationship occurred outside North Carolina and that the federal court lacked personal jurisdiction over her.
In a deposition on July 31, Sinema stated that her sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel began around Memorial Day 2024. She described an encounter at an Airbnb in Napa, California, where she said, "We went inside and had sex." Sinema, who is unmarried, was staying at the property with friends and another member of her security detail.
Further encounters were described in the deposition. In June 2024, Sinema attended the wedding of CNN anchor Jessica Dean in New York City, where she and Matthew Ammel were "intimate" in her hotel room, despite having separate accommodations. In mid-July, they reportedly had sex in Sinema's Washington, D.C., apartment after a flight from the West Coast. Another sexual encounter occurred during a fundraising trip to Aspen, Colorado, in mid-August. Sinema did not recall a late September encounter in Washington, D.C., but Ammel confirmed it in his deposition. The relationship reportedly continued into October 2024, with a sexual encounter at Sinema's home in Phoenix.
Sinema acknowledged in her deposition that she was aware Matthew Ammel had three children and was married during these encounters. When questioned about a text message she sent him and a photo of herself in a towel, Sinema attributed the photo to her background as an endurance athlete and the presence of cupping marks, stating she did not specifically recall the towel photo. She did, however, acknowledge that a wife might be concerned about a message she sent to Ammel reading, "Putting my hand on your heart. I'll see you soon. I miss you."
Heather Ammel also provided testimony in her deposition, recounting discovering the affair when her husband returned home heavily intoxicated while they were staying at her parents' home. She read aloud a message from Sinema found on her husband's phone, which stated, "I hope your day was okay. Thinking of you. I am with you. I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me." In a text message to her husband in June 2024, Heather Ammel described Sinema as "insidious" and "a woman who is willing to break up a family."
The Ammels separated on November 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026. According to court documents, an evidentiary hearing in the case against Sinema is scheduled for August 19.