Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has admitted to having an affair with her former security detail member while serving in the Senate, acknowledging the relationship as 'romantic and intimate' in court filings related to an alienation of affection lawsuit.
Sinema, who represented Arizona from 2019 to 2025, submitted a sworn declaration and motion to dismiss in North Carolina court admitting to the relationship with Matthew Ammel, her former bodyguard. The filings do not dispute the nature of the affair but argue the case should be dropped because communications occurred 'exclusively outside' North Carolina.
The lawsuit was filed by Ammel's estranged wife, who accused Sinema of 'intentional and malicious interference' in the marriage and sought $25,000 in damages. The relationship began in May 2024 in Sonoma, California, and involved months of phone calls, emails, and Signal messages across multiple U.S. cities.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican critics have used the revelation to renew attacks on Sinema's entire political career, which was marked by frequent breaks with her party. Conservative commentators have highlighted Sinema's opposition to key Democratic priorities, including her votes against certain climate provisions and her resistance to eliminating the filibuster.
Conservative commentator and former congressional staffer Tom Bradley said, 'Sinema spent years thumbing her nose at Democrats while positioning herself as a moderate — and now we learn she was engaged in this kind of behavior. This undermines any claim she ever had to principle.'
House Republican leadership has referenced the affair in fundraising communications, with one recent email stating that Sinema 'proved she was never really one of us.' Some Republican strategists have suggested the revelation could complicate any potential future political comeback for Sinema, whether in Arizona or elsewhere.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive commentators and Democratic strategists have largely distanced themselves from Sinema, noting she left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 2022. Some progressive voices have framed the affair as a personal matter that reflects poorly on Sinema's judgment but does not necessarily implicate her former colleagues.
As progressive commentator Sarah Jordan noted on social media, 'This is yet another example of Sinema putting herself above everyone else — first by leaving the party, now by involving herself in someone else's marriage.' Democratic operatives have suggested the revelation further cements Sinema's political exile, with little path back to mainstream Democratic politics.
Others have focused on the legal dimensions, noting that alienation of affection lawsuits are increasingly viewed as archaic. 'These kinds of lawsuits effectively criminalize infidelity and allow for litigation that intrudes deeply into private lives,' said legal analyst Michelle Torres.
What the Numbers Show
North Carolina is one of only six states that still recognize alienation of affection lawsuits, alongside Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, and South Dakota. To succeed in such cases, plaintiffs must prove three elements: that the marriage had genuine affection before involvement; that love and affection were destroyed or significantly diminished; and that the defendant directly caused that destruction.
Sinema served in the U.S. Senate from January 2019 until January 2025, representing Arizona. She announced her switch to independent status in December 2022, becoming the first Democrat to win a federal race in Arizona as an independent. She did not seek reelection in 2024.
The relationship with Ammel began in May 2024, according to court filings. One Signal message cited in the filing shows Sinema writing, 'I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,' sent from Scottsdale in June 2024. Another exchange occurred when Ammel's wife allegedly confronted Sinema directly, asking if she was 'having an affair with my husband.'
The Bottom Line
The admission marks a significant personal and political low point for Sinema, who already faced an uphill battle to rebuild her political brand after losing Democratic support during her Senate tenure. While the legal outcome remains uncertain — Sinema's motion to dismiss argues the case falls outside North Carolina jurisdiction — the political damage may be more lasting.
The affair revelation comes as Sinema reportedly considers future political options, potentially including a run for governor or other office in Arizona. The timing and public nature of the disclosure, emerging through court filings rather than her own disclosure, may complicate any potential political rehabilitation. Legal observers will watch the North Carolina court's ruling on jurisdiction closely, as it could determine whether the substantive claims proceed at all.