Ex-senator Sinema admits to romantic relationship with her security guard amid lawsuit over alleged affair

Former US Senator Kyrsten Sinema has publicly acknowledged a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail, Matthew Ammel, which began in May 2024 while she was still in office. This admission comes as a response to a lawsuit filed by Ammel’s former wife, Heather Ammel, in a North Carolina federal court. Heather Ammel is seeking financial damages, claiming Sinema interfered in her marriage and caused its breakdown.

According to the lawsuit, the Ammels had a loving marriage before Sinema allegedly pursued Matthew Ammel, despite knowing he was married. Sinema’s declaration confirms the relationship became romantic and then physically intimate, with encounters occurring across multiple states. Sinema’s legal team argues the lawsuit is without merit, stating the marriage was already failing when the relationship with Ammel intensified and that Sinema has no meaningful connection to North Carolina. They also claim her actions did not contribute to the end of the marriage.

However, Heather Ammel’s lawsuit alleges she discovered explicit messages between Sinema and her husband and that Matthew Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring. She further claims Sinema offered him a job on her Senate staff while he continued to serve as her bodyguard. North Carolina law allows for “alienation of affection” lawsuits, enabling spouses to seek damages from those they believe caused their marriage to dissolve. Sinema, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent and now works in the legal and lobbying sector, declined to seek re-election to the Senate in 2024.

(Source：Yahoo! News)