Judge Rules Kyrsten Sinema Must Face 'Homewrecker' Lawsuit in North Carolina

Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina's 'homewrecker' law. A federal judge rejected her attempt to have the case thrown out, ruling the state has jurisdiction over claims that her affair with a married member of her security detail tore apart a family.

U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon denied Sinema's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel, whose husband, Matthew Ammel, carried on an affair with Sinema while serving on her Senate security detail. The ruling keeps the case alive and sets up a bruising legal fight for the former Arizona lawmaker.

A Ruling Built on Nine Text Messages

Judge Bragdon found that Sinema knew Matthew Ammel lived in North Carolina with his wife and their three children. He pointed to nine text messages Sinema sent to Ammel while he was in the state, ruling those communications were enough to establish jurisdiction.

The messages showed Sinema was 'furthering a romantic relationship' with Ammel and 'invading' his marriage both while she traveled with him and while he was at home with his family, according to the ruling. Heather Ammel discovered the affair in early 2024 after reading the messages. She filed her civil complaint seeking damages, claiming Sinema interfered with what she described as a 'good and loving marriage.'

The Affair Behind the Lawsuit

Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security detail in 2022 after retiring from the U.S. Army. He began traveling with her domestically and internationally, and the relationship eventually turned romantic.

Sinema, who is unmarried, acknowledged the relationship in a July 31 deposition. She testified that she first had sex with Ammel around Memorial Day 2024 while the two were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. She said their encounters took place in New York, Washington, Colorado and Arizona -- but never in North Carolina, which formed the backbone of her argument that she had no meaningful connection to the state.

According to the lawsuit, Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring that summer and was later given a job as a national security fellow in Sinema's Senate office. The Ammels separated Nov. 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026.

A Rare Legal Weapon

North Carolina is among a small group of states that still recognize alienation-of-affection claims. The legal doctrine, long dubbed the 'homewrecker' law, allows a spouse to seek damages from a third party believed to have caused the breakdown of a marriage.

The law has produced eye-catching verdicts in recent years, and it gives Heather Ammel a rare path to press a personal claim against a former U.S. senator. Sinema, who built a national reputation as a maverick willing to break with her own party, now finds herself on the defensive side of a courtroom fight rooted in her private life.

What Happens Next

The case will move forward in federal court in North Carolina. Sinema's lawyers, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the ruling.

Sinema represented Arizona in the U.S. House and Senate, first as a Democrat and later as an independent, before leaving office in January 2025. Barring a settlement, the former senator must now defend herself in discovery and, potentially, before a jury -- with damages on the line in one of the most unusual personal legal battles involving a recent member of Congress.