Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s bid to escape a North Carolina civil lawsuit was rejected by a federal judge, who ruled the state has jurisdiction in a case accusing Sinema of helping break up her former bodyguard’s marriage, a decision that puts the once-powerful lawmaker at the center of a rare and public legal fight over personal conduct and political privilege.

U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon denied Sinema’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Heather Ammel, the ex-wife of Sinema’s former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, allowing the case to proceed in North Carolina courts. The judge found that nine messages sent by Sinema to Ammel while he was in North Carolina provided enough of a connection for the state to hear the case, despite Sinema’s argument that her alleged conduct took place elsewhere.

The legal action centers on allegations that Sinema, while serving as a U.S. senator from Arizona, pursued a romantic and sexual relationship with her married security staffer, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the Ammels’ marriage. The ruling, first reported by Fox News Digital, is a rare rebuke of a former federal lawmaker under a state’s so-called “homewrecker” law, a statute that allows spouses to sue third parties they believe helped destroy their marriage.

“Sinema acknowledged having a romantic and sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel, who was married when the relationship began,” Just The News reported, citing Sinema’s own sworn deposition. Sinema described in detail how the pair’s relationship turned physical at an Airbnb in Napa, California, around Memorial Day 2024, and said the two later had sexual encounters in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not in North Carolina.

Judge finds enough North Carolina ties for case to proceed

Sinema’s legal team argued that North Carolina courts should not hear the case, insisting that “the relationship occurred ‘exclusively outside of North Carolina,’” according to the Washington Examiner. Her attorney, Steven Epstein, wrote that “jurisdiction over her in this action does not comport with due process.” But the judge was not persuaded, ruling that Sinema’s repeated communications with Ammel while he was home with his family in North Carolina were enough to bring the case under state law.

Judge Bragdon’s ruling cited nine messages Sinema sent to Ammel while he was physically present in North Carolina, concluding these contacts were aimed at “furthering [a romantic relationship]” and “invading” the marriage. In the judge’s words, the messages showed Sinema was “invading the marriage not just while he was away on trips with her” but also while Ammel was at home. Under North Carolina law, evidence of a sexual relationship allows the court to presume malice, a key requirement for alienation-of-affection claims.

The lawsuit, which seeks at least $75,000 in damages, alleges that Sinema’s actions directly contributed to the breakdown of the Ammels’ marriage. In her complaint, Heather Ammel stated she and Matthew “had a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered, as reported by both AP News and the New York Post.

Personal details, political consequences, and legal precedent

The timeline detailed in court records and reporting shows that Matthew Ammel joined Sinema’s security detail in 2022 after retiring from the U.S. Army. The alleged affair began in May 2024, according to Sinema’s own testimony and multiple sources. The Ammels separated on November 1, 2024, and finalized their divorce in March 2026. Heather Ammel said she discovered the relationship in early 2024 after reading nine romantic messages Sinema sent her husband on the encrypted app Signal.

North Carolina is one of the few states that still recognize alienation-of-affection claims, allowing lawsuits against third parties alleged to have played a central role in destroying a marriage. The law’s continued existence, and its use against a former U.S. senator, is an unusual twist in a country where most states have eliminated or sharply limited such legal actions.

Sinema’s attorneys, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The former senator, who left office after a single term and did not seek re-election, has not addressed the lawsuit publicly outside her sworn testimony.

Allegations raise questions about power, trust, and accountability

According to the complaint, Sinema hired Ammel for her security team and later gave him a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office. The lawsuit alleges these actions were part of a pattern of behavior that ultimately undermined the Ammels’ marriage. “Matthew and Heather Ammel had ‘a good and loving marriage’ with ‘genuine love and affection’ before Sinema interfered,” the suit claims, as reported by AP News.

Sinema’s own account, “We were staying at an Airbnb in [Napa, California.] We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex”, was offered under oath during her deposition in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 31. She admitted to multiple sexual encounters with Ammel, but maintained that none occurred in North Carolina itself.

The case now moves forward in North Carolina, where the judge’s ruling sets the stage for a public airing of private conduct and legal arguments about the reach of state law. The outcome will test the limits of accountability for public figures who cross personal and professional lines, and whether legal privilege or political status can shield them from the consequences of their choices.

Whatever the outcome, this case is a reminder that political power does not grant immunity from the rules that ordinary Americans must live by, and that those in public office are expected to act with the same honesty and restraint that taxpayers and families deserve.