Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is finding herself back in the headlines. This time, it is not about politics, elections, or Washington drama. It is about an alleged affair.
Sinema has provided more details about her relationship with former bodyguard Matthew Ammel. And judging by the latest court filings, this story has more twists than a political campaign.
Five months after acknowledging the affair in a motion seeking to dismiss a lawsuit, Sinema testified during a July 31 deposition that she had sexual relations with Ammel multiple times. Her testimony was included in federal court filings connected to a lawsuit brought by Ammel’s ex-wife, Heather Ammel.
Yes, this has officially moved from gossip-column territory to federal-court territory.
Heather Ammel is seeking more than $75,000 in damages. That means the relationship drama now comes with a very serious price tag.
Heather sued Sinema in January under North Carolina’s alienation of affection law, arguing that Sinema “willfully and intentionally” seduced her husband of 14 years. She seeks more than $75,000 in damages.
While Sinema did not deny having an affair with Matthew, she argued that she should not be sued under North Carolina’s “homewrecker” law, as the affair did not happen in the southern state.
In the deposition, Sinema recalled first having sex with Matthew in 2024 while they were staying at an Airbnb around Memorial Day.
“We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, Calif.,” she said, per the transcript. “We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex.”
Sinema’s connection with Ammel has already attracted plenty of attention because he was married at the time.
Sinema then claimed that the affair continued a month later in New York City while Sinema was there to attend the wedding of CNN anchor Jessica Dean. While Sinema stated that she and Matthew had separate hotel rooms throughout the trip, she said they were “intimate” in her room.
In the following months, Sinema recalled having sex with Matthew again in mid-July at her Washington, D.C., apartment, during a trip to Aspen, Colo., in mid-August and at her house in Phoenix that October, according to court documents. She also acknowledged that she was aware that Matthew was married and had three children throughout their affair.
During the deposition, a lawyer asked Sinema about a series of text messages that she sent to Matthew, which included a photo of herself in a towel with cupping marks on her body.
While she claimed that she did not recall sending the message, the politician suggested that the conversation must have been “about sports,” emphasizing that she is an endurance athlete.
A separate message sent to Matthew in October 2024 read, “Putting my hand on my heart. I’ll see you soon. I miss you,” per the deposition.
When asked if she understood why “a wife reading this might get concerned about who is sending her husband that kind of message,” Sinema responded with a simple, “Yes.”
The case continues to play out in court. And judging by the latest filings, this story is nowhere near finished.
