Former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema is involved in a legal case under North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ law. A federal judge ruled that the state has jurisdiction over claims alleging her involvement in a marriage breakup due to an affair. Sinema admitted to a relationship with her former security detail member, Matthew Ammel, but argued against jurisdiction in North Carolina, citing insufficient connections.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon disagreed with Sinema’s argument. He noted her awareness of Ammel’s residence in North Carolina with his wife, Heather Ammel, and their children. Heather Ammel’s accusation stems from discovering the affair in early 2024 through communications sent by Sinema to her husband while he was in North Carolina. The judge deemed these messages sufficient to allow the lawsuit to proceed.
In her complaint, Heather Ammel seeks damages, asserting that Sinema’s actions disrupted her previously ‘good and loving marriage.’ North Carolina is among the few states permitting alienation-of-affection lawsuits, where spouses can hold a third party accountable for marital breakdowns.
Sinema’s legal representatives, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, have yet to comment. In his decision, Judge Bragdon highlighted Sinema’s role in advancing the romantic relationship and breaching the Ammels’ marriage. The judge’s analysis noted Sinema’s travels with Ammel and their communication even while he was at home.
According to Heather Ammel’s lawsuit, her husband joined Sinema’s security team in 2022 after an Army career. He traveled extensively with Sinema, both in the U.S. and abroad. Sinema, unmarried, detailed in a deposition her first sexual encounter with Ammel during Memorial Day 2024 at a rental in Napa, California, which she described in specific terms.
The lawsuit further claims that in summer 2024, Ammel ceased wearing his wedding ring and received a new role as a national security fellow in Sinema’s Senate office. Sinema’s deposition mentioned encounters in different states but not North Carolina. The Ammels concluded their marriage with a separation in November 2024 and finalized divorce in March 2026.