Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is once again making headlines, though not for legislation or policy debates. This time the drama is playing out in a courtroom, where Sinema is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing her of having an affair with a married bodyguard during her time in office.
The lawsuit was filed in Moore County, North Carolina, in September 2025 by the ex wife of Matthew Ammel, a man who worked as Sinema’s security detail. According to the complaint, the relationship between Sinema and Ammel began shortly after he started working for the senator, eventually contributing to the breakdown of his marriage.
Sinema’s legal team does not appear to be disputing that the relationship existed. In a motion to dismiss filed this week, Sinema acknowledged that she and Ammel began a romantic relationship in May 2024. That timeline is awkward for obvious reasons, since Ammel did not separate from his wife until about five months later.
Still, Sinema’s lawyers argue the case should not even be heard in North Carolina. Their central argument is jurisdiction. According to the filing, the relationship between Sinema and Ammel took place “exclusively outside of North Carolina,” which they say means the court has no authority to handle the case.
The motion claims nearly all communications between the two happened while both were outside the state. The only contact that allegedly occurred while Ammel was in North Carolina took place in October 2024, after he had already moved out of the home he shared with his wife.
The lawsuit itself reads more like a tabloid script than a standard legal complaint.
According to court documents, the relationship may have first crossed into questionable territory during a December 2023 trip to Las Vegas. Sinema allegedly asked Ammel to act as her “security” while she attended a U2 concert at the Sphere. Ammel reportedly invited his wife along on the trip, presenting it as a gift.
The complaint says things escalated soon after. The ex wife claims she later discovered Sinema and Ammel began communicating frequently using the encrypted messaging app Signal. Court papers allege the messages “exceeded the bounds of a normal working relationship and were of romantic and lascivious natures.”
The filings also include more eyebrow raising claims. One allegation says Sinema instructed Ammel to “bring MDMA drugs on a work trip” so she could “guide him through a psychedelic experience.”
Additional incidents described in the complaint include trips to the Innings Festival, a Taylor Swift concert, and travel to San Francisco and Napa Valley where the two allegedly spent extended time together.
The ex wife is seeking damages under North Carolina’s unusual “alienation of affection” law. That statute allows a spouse to sue a third party accused of interfering in a marriage and destroying a couple’s “love and affection” through wrongful actions.
Meanwhile, court documents say Sinema and Ammel remain “engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship.”
Ammel was initially paid through Sinema’s campaign account before later appearing on her official Senate payroll while she was still in office. Sinema left the Senate after the 2024 election and now works at the Washington law and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells.
For a politician who built her brand on independence and unconventional choices, this legal battle may end up being one of the most unusual chapters yet.