A federal judge has ruled that former United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona may be sued in North Carolina under the state’s alienation of affection statute, following allegations that she engaged in an extramarital affair with a married member of her security detail.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon denied Sinema’s motion to dismiss the case, determining that North Carolina courts have proper jurisdiction over the matter. The judge’s decision centered on evidence showing Sinema maintained sufficient connection to the state through her relationship with Matthew Ammel, a North Carolina resident who served on her security team.
Sinema acknowledged in a deposition that she engaged in a sexual relationship with Ammel, who joined her security detail in 2022 after retiring from the United States Army. However, her legal team argued she could not be sued in North Carolina because she lacked meaningful ties to the state.
Judge Bragdon rejected this argument, noting that Sinema was aware Ammel resided in North Carolina with his wife, Heather Ammel, and their three children. The judge determined that nine messages Sinema sent to Ammel’s phone while he was in North Carolina provided sufficient basis for the lawsuit to proceed in state court. Heather Ammel discovered these communications in early 2024, which led to her filing the civil complaint.
In her lawsuit, Heather Ammel seeks damages from the former senator, alleging that Sinema deliberately interfered with what she characterized as a good and loving marriage. North Carolina remains one of a handful of states that recognize alienation of affection claims, a legal doctrine that permits spouses to pursue damages from third parties they believe caused their marriage to fail.
According to testimony provided in a July deposition conducted at a Raleigh law office, Sinema stated that her physical relationship with Ammel began around Memorial Day 2024 in Napa, California. The former senator, who is unmarried, described the encounter as beginning when Ammel kissed her while they were outside at an Airbnb rental property.
Judge Bragdon’s ruling emphasized that the messages exchanged between Sinema and Ammel demonstrated the former senator was furthering a romantic relationship with a married man and invading his marriage both during their travels together and when he returned home to his family.
Ammel’s position on Sinema’s security team required him to travel extensively with the senator, both domestically and internationally, following his retirement from military service.
The case now proceeds to the next phase of litigation. Sinema’s attorneys have not provided comment on the judge’s decision. The lawsuit represents a significant legal challenge for the former senator, who served in the United States Senate representing Arizona before declining to seek reelection.
This case highlights the continued existence of alienation of affection laws in certain states, legal provisions that trace their origins to centuries-old marriage tort doctrines. While most states have abolished such statutes, North Carolina maintains them as part of its civil law framework.
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