U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected that claim and ruled that nine text messages sent to Matthew Ammel, her bodyguard, while he was in the state establish North Carolina's jurisdiction over her. He called it implausible that she was unaware of Ammel's whereabouts when texting him.
Steven Epstein, Sinema's attorney, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Sinema has acknowledged having a romantic relationship with Matthew Ammel but argued that she can't be sued in North Carolina because she has no connection to the state (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The legal action, brought by Ammel’s ex-wife, seeks financial compensation from Sinema, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and later completed a single term in the Senate early last year.
North Carolina is among a small number of states allowing jilted spouses to bring suits for "alienation of affection" to obtain damages from a third party deemed responsible for a broken marriage.
Matthew and Heather Ammel maintained "a good and loving marriage" with "genuine love and affection" prior to Sinema’s interference, pursuing Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married, Heather Ammel alleges in her lawsuit.
Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security team after retiring from the Army in 2022 and accompanied her on domestic and foreign travel, the complaint states.
In early 2024, Heather Ammel discovered "romantic and lascivious" messages exchanged between her husband and Sinema on the Signal messaging app. By that summer, he stopped wearing his wedding ring, and Sinema appointed him as a national security fellow in her Senate office as he continued working as a campaign bodyguard, the lawsuit states.
During a deposition in July, Sinema described their sexual encounters, testifying the relationship became sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She stated they later had encounters in New York, Washington, Colorado and Arizona, but never North Carolina.
Matthew and Heather Ammel separated on Nov. 1, 2024.
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