Sinema testifies to multiple affairs with married security guard in federal case
Former senator Kyrsten Sinema admitted in a deposition that she had repeated sexual encounters with her married bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, while she was in office.
Federal court filings reveal that Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Senate at the start of last year, testified she repeatedly engaged in sexual activity with her then-married security guard, Matthew Ammel, during her tenure representing Arizona. The deposition, taken on July 31 in Raleigh, details encounters from a Napa Airbnb in late May through a wedding in New York City, a night in her Washington, D.C., apartment, a fundraising trip to Aspen, and a final liaison at her Phoenix home in October 2024.
Heather Ammel, Matthew’s former spouse, sued Sinema in a North Carolina court under the state’s alienation-of-affection law, alleging the affair destroyed her 14-year marriage. Sinema’s legal team transferred the case to federal court and asked for dismissal, claiming the relationship occurred outside North Carolina and that the court lacks personal jurisdiction. An evidentiary hearing is set for August 19, and the divorce between the Ammels was finalized in March 2026.
Why it matters
The case highlights how personal conduct of a former U.S. senator can become a legal battle under state alienation-of-affection laws.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story around the divorce lawsuit and jurisdictional arguments, while right-leaning coverage emphasizes the multiple affairs and graphic details of the sexual encounters.
LEFT
Frames the story as a legal dispute over an alleged affair, highlighting the divorce lawsuit, jurisdictional motion, and the context of the alleged conduct.
RIGHT
Frames the story as a series of repeated sexual encounters, stressing the number of affairs, explicit details, and sensational quotations.
The left emphasises
- the lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel alleging the affair destroyed her 14-year marriage
- Sinema’s motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction
- the affair’s alleged start at a Napa Airbnb and a later encounter at one outlet anchor’s wedding
The right emphasises
- multiple affairs with the married security guard across several locations
- graphic description of the sexual relationship, including a quoted “We went inside and had sex”
- the deposition’s detailed timeline from Napa to New York, Washington, Aspen and Phoenix
In this story
