Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) has acknowledged under oath that she began a sexual relationship with a married man who was working as her bodyguard, according to newly reported court documents stemming from a lawsuit filed by the man’s ex-wife.
Sinema, the former Arizona senator who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, discussed her relationship with Matthew Ammel during a deposition in the ongoing legal dispute, according to TMZ.
Ammel’s ex-wife, Heather Ammel, is suing Sinema in North Carolina, alleging that the former senator played a role in destroying the couple’s 14-year marriage.
During questioning, Sinema testified that her romantic relationship with Matthew Ammel began while the two were staying in California in May 2024.
“We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex,” Sinema said during the deposition, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Sinema testified that the encounter represented the first time she and Ammel had kissed or had sex.
The location and timing of the relationship are particularly important because of the unusual North Carolina law at the center of the case.
The state allows certain civil claims against third parties accused of interfering with a marriage, provisions commonly referred to as “homewrecker” laws.
Heather Ammel is seeking to hold Sinema liable under those laws for allegedly contributing to the breakdown of her marriage.
Sinema has fought the lawsuit, arguing that North Carolina’s law does not apply to her because the relevant alleged conduct occurred outside the state and she lacked sufficient ties to North Carolina.
Public Radio East previously reported that court documents detailed intimate messages between Sinema and Ammel as well as trips to locations including Napa Valley and Saudi Arabia.
Sinema’s legal team maintains that the relationship did not extend into North Carolina until after Matthew and Heather Ammel had separated, according to the outlet.
That distinction could prove significant as the court considers whether North Carolina has jurisdiction over Sinema and whether the state’s law can be applied to the circumstances alleged in the lawsuit.
The litigation has also expanded into a fight over private records.
Sinema attorney Steven Epstein reportedly issued a subpoena seeking records from Heather Ammel’s therapist, according to the Phoenix New Times.
The requested material reportedly included therapy session dates, notes, intake documents, invoices and communications relating to Ammel during 2024.
Heather Ammel opposed the request.
Her attorney, Thomas Van Camp, initially asked Epstein to withdraw the subpoena before filing a motion asking the court to block it, Breitbart News reported.
Van Camp argued that the requested information was “completely unrelated to the issue of Defendant’s contacts with North Carolina” and fell outside the scope of discovery authorized by the court.
The underlying lawsuit has placed Sinema’s private life under scrutiny less than two years after she left elected office.
Sinema was first elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2018 before announcing in December 2022 that she was leaving the party and registering as an independent.
Her decision came after years in which she frequently clashed with fellow Democrats over major elements of the party’s legislative agenda.
In March 2024, Sinema announced that she would not seek reelection and would leave the Senate when her term expired at the beginning of 2025.
The relationship described in her deposition allegedly began approximately two months after that announcement.
Matthew and Heather Ammel, meanwhile, had been married for 14 years before separating, according to Public Radio East.
The lawsuit does not dispute that Sinema and Matthew Ammel eventually became romantically involved. Instead, a central legal question is whether Sinema’s alleged conduct falls within the reach of North Carolina law.
Sinema’s deposition has now provided a firsthand account of when she says the physical relationship began, placing the initial encounter in Napa, California, rather than North Carolina.
The case remains ongoing, and the allegations made by Heather Ammel have not resulted in a finding that Sinema is legally liable for the breakdown of the marriage.
