Judge Clears Way For Senator Sinema 'Homewrecker' Lawsuit

A federal judge has cleared the way for Heather Ammel to sue former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema under North Carolina's homewrecker law. The ruling confirms that the state courts can hear claims alleging Seneca broke up a marriage through an affair with her husband, Matthew Ammel.

Sinema admitted in legal filings that she had a sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel while he worked on her security detail as a senator. She argued this time and place meant North Carolina lacked jurisdiction over the case. U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon shot down that defense immediately. He noted Sinema fully knew the couple lived in North Carolina with their three children before the relationship began.

The judge also highlighted how Heather Ammel found proof of the infidelity early in 2024. She discovered nine text messages Sinema sent to her husband while he was visiting his family home in the state. Those exchanges provided enough grounds for the lawsuit to proceed within North Carolina borders.

Heather Ammel is asking for money from Sinema, claiming the former lawmaker destroyed a good and loving marriage by pursuing her spouse. North Carolina remains one of very few states allowing such alienation-of-affection claims where partners seek damages from outsiders they blame for marital breakdowns.

Sinema's attorneys, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, did not answer questions sent their way right now. In his decision, Judge Bragdon pointed to private messages showing Sinema continued a romantic bond with Ammel while traveling together or when he stayed at home. He concluded these actions invaded the marriage directly.

Matthew Ammel joined Seneca's security team in 2022 after retiring from the U.S. Army. The lawsuit states this led him to travel domestically and internationally with her frequently. During a July 31 deposition held at a Raleigh law office, Sinema described their first sexual encounter happening around Memorial Day 2024 outside an Airbnb in Napa, California.

She told investigators they stepped inside that rental unit after he kissed her there and then had sex. That same summer Matthew stopped wearing his wedding ring while taking on a new role as a national security fellow in the Senate office, according to court documents filed by Heather Ammel. Sinema said she met with him sexually in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona but never within North Carolina limits.

The couple officially separated on Nov. 1, 2024, and finalized their divorce later in March 2026 based on public court records. This case now moves forward as a test of how far state laws reach against federal officials accused of personal conduct affecting private families.