Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema is facing legal action under North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ law. A federal judge determined that the state has jurisdiction over claims that Sinema contributed to the breakdown of a marriage by engaging in an affair.
Sinema admitted to a relationship with Matthew Ammel, part of her security team during her time as senator. She argued against being sued in North Carolina, citing a lack of significant ties to the state. U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon dismissed this argument. He noted that Sinema was aware Ammel resided in North Carolina with his wife, Heather Ammel, and their three children.
Heather Ammel discovered the affair in 2024 after reading nine messages from Sinema to her husband written while he was in North Carolina. These communications are considered sufficient evidence for the lawsuit to proceed.
Heather Ammel seeks damages from Sinema, alleging the former senator disrupted a ‘good and loving marriage.’
North Carolina is among the few states that allows alienation-of-affection claims. This enables spouses to seek damages from a third party believed responsible for the collapse of a marriage.
Sinema’s legal representation, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, did not comment on the case.
The judge’s ruling emphasized that Sinema’s interactions with Ammel supported a romantic relationship, interfering with his marriage during both travel and his stays at home.
According to the lawsuit, Ammel joined Sinema’s security team in 2022 after retiring from the Army. He began traveling with Sinema both domestically and internationally.
Sinema, unmarried, disclosed in a July 31 deposition that her first sexual encounter with Ammel occurred in Napa, California, around Memorial Day 2024.
“We were staying at an Airbnb. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex,” Sinema recounted during her deposition in Raleigh.
That summer, Ammel removed his wedding ring and took a position as a national security fellow in Sinema’s Senate office, as stated in the lawsuit.
Sinema detailed intimate encounters with Ammel in various states but denied such meetings in North Carolina.
The Ammels separated in November 2024, finalizing their divorce by March 2026, according to court documents.
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