Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is facing serious allegations in a federal lawsuit that claims she had an affair with a member of her Senate security team, a married Army veteran and father of three.
The lawsuit was filed this week in North Carolina by Heather Ammel, the ex-wife of Matthew Ammel, who worked on Sinema’s security detail for two years. She accuses Sinema of pursuing a relationship with her husband and deliberately breaking up their marriage.
According to the complaint, Sinema allegedly sent Ammel sexually suggestive messages and photos through the encrypted app Signal, invited him to travel with her on personal and work trips, and showered him with gifts, concert tickets, and special experiences. These trips reportedly included visits to Napa Valley, Las Vegas’ Sphere for a U2 concert, and a Taylor Swift show.
The lawsuit also claims Sinema paid for Ammel to undergo psychedelic treatment for PTSD and other issues and encouraged him to bring drugs on work trips so she could guide him through psychedelic experiences. Eventually, the relationship turned sexual, and Ammel left his family, the suit alleges.
Sinema’s spokesperson and attorney did not respond to requests for comment. Ammel could not be reached.
Heather Ammel is seeking more than $25,000 in damages, arguing that Sinema intentionally and maliciously interfered in her marriage. The case was originally filed in state court last September under North Carolina’s “alienation of affection” law, which allows spouses to sue third parties for damaging a marriage. Sinema’s legal team later requested the case be moved to federal court.
The lawsuit paints a picture of a power imbalance, claiming Sinema pursued a deeply personal relationship with someone who depended on her for his job. It also alleges she frequently spoke dismissively about her duties as a senator.
The Ammels married in 2010 and had three children together. The lawsuit says their marriage was loving and stable despite Ammel’s struggles with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and substance abuse tied to his military service.
After retiring from the Army in 2022, Ammel joined Sinema’s staff. When his supervisor left in late 2023 and encouraged him to do the same, Ammel stayed for financial stability. That decision led to frequent travel with Sinema, including solo trips and overnight stays at her properties in Washington, Scottsdale, and Napa Valley, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims the relationship escalated in early 2024, with Sinema allegedly becoming physically affectionate at a Phoenix event and later inviting Ammel to her hotel room during a work trip to San Francisco. Heather Ammel says she later discovered explicit messages and photos sent by Sinema, including one where she was wrapped only in a towel.
The suit also alleges Sinema made crude jokes, criticized parts of her job, and once dismissed President Biden’s State of the Union speech as listening to “some old man” talk about legislation she had already written.
Eventually, Ammel asked his wife for a divorce, though he initially avoided admitting the affair, according to the complaint.
Sinema served a single term in the Senate and often clashed with Democrats, frustrating both voters and colleagues by blocking key party priorities. In 2024, she announced she would not seek reelection, saying her centrist, deal-focused approach was “not what America wants right now.”
Since leaving office, Sinema has become involved in the psychedelic science industry and joined the law firm Hogan Lovells, where she works on issues related to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.
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