Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has acknowledged entering into a romantic relationship with her former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, while she was still serving in the U.S. Senate. This admission came to light in a recent court filing in North Carolina, where Sinema's legal team is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit connected to the relationship. The lawsuit was initiated in September 2025 by Ammel's ex-wife, following the dissolution of their marriage.
According to the motion filed by Sinema's attorneys, the relationship between Sinema and Ammel began in May 2024. At this time, Sinema was a sitting U.S. Senator representing Arizona. The timeline outlined in court documents indicates that Ammel separated from his wife approximately five months after the romantic relationship commenced, in October 2024. Ammel, who had initially been hired through Sinema's campaign account, was later moved to her official Senate payroll as a staff member by the summer of 2024, while she was still in office.
The lawsuit, filed under North Carolina's "alienation of affection" law, alleges that Sinema interfered in Ammel's marriage, contributing to its collapse by destroying the couple's "love and affection" through what the complaint describes as wrongful conduct. North Carolina is one of only a few states that permit such lawsuits, allowing a spouse to sue a third party for damages if they are found to have intentionally alienated the affections of their partner. Ammel's ex-wife is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
Sinema's legal team is arguing for the dismissal of the case, primarily on jurisdictional grounds. Their motion asserts that the North Carolina court lacks jurisdiction over the matter because the romantic relationship between Sinema and Ammel occurred "exclusively outside of North Carolina." The filing contends that nearly all communications between the two individuals took place while both were physically outside the state. It further claims that the only contact between Sinema and Ammel while he was in North Carolina occurred in October 2024, which was after he had already moved out of the home he shared with his wife.
The lawsuit itself, however, paints a broader picture of the alleged development of the relationship. Court documents suggest that the situation may have first intersected with Ammel's marriage during a December 2023 trip to Las Vegas. The complaint claims Sinema asked Ammel to serve as her security during this trip so she could attend a U2 concert at the Sphere venue. Ammel reportedly invited his wife along for the trip, presenting it as a gift. After the concert, Ammel and his wife reportedly went out for drinks together.
The complaint goes on to allege that the nature of the relationship shifted shortly thereafter. Ammel's ex-wife reportedly discovered that Sinema and Ammel began communicating more frequently the following month, in January 2024, using the encrypted messaging app Signal. The lawsuit claims these messages appeared to exceed the bounds of a professional relationship, describing the communications as having "exceeded the bounds of a normal working relationship."
Further allegations in the lawsuit detail various trips and events the two attended together, including visits to the Innings Festival and travel to San Francisco. The complaint also references the pair attending a Taylor Swift concert and visiting Napa Valley in California. These events, according to the lawsuit, contributed to the alleged interference in Ammel's marriage.
Kyrsten Sinema served in the U.S. Senate from 2019 to 2025. She was initially elected as a Democrat but later left the party to become an independent in December 2022. She did not seek re-election in the 2024 election, concluding a turbulent term in office marked by her independent stance on various legislative issues. Following her departure from Congress, Sinema joined Hogan Lovells, a Washington-based legal and lobbying firm. Court filings indicate that the romantic relationship between Sinema and Ammel is ongoing. The legal battle over jurisdiction and the merits of the "alienation of affection" claim are expected to continue in the North Carolina court system.
