A U.S. District Judge in Phoenix ruled that former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema can be sued in North Carolina under the state’s alienation of affection statute, commonly known as a “homewrecker” law. The lawsuit was filed by Heather Ammel against Sinema regarding a relationship between Sinema and Matthew Ammel, Heather’s husband at the time.
Sinema had argued she could not be sued in North Carolina because she lacked sufficient connection to the state. However, Judge David A. Bragdon determined that nine text messages Sinema sent to Ammel while he was in North Carolina established adequate jurisdiction. The judge stated it was implausible that Sinema was unaware of Ammel’s location when sending the messages.
According to the lawsuit, Matthew Ammel joined Sinema’s security detail after retiring from the Army in 2022. The complaint alleges Sinema pursued a relationship with Ammel despite knowing he was married. In early 2024, Heather Ammel discovered romantic messages between her husband and Sinema on the Signal messaging app. Later that year, Ammel received a position as a national security fellow in Sinema’s Senate office while continuing security work for her campaign.
During a July deposition, Sinema acknowledged the relationship became sexual on May 27, 2024, during a Napa, California trip. She stated subsequent sexual encounters occurred in New York, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not North Carolina. Matthew and Heather Ammel separated on Nov. 1, 2024.
North Carolina is among a limited number of states permitting alienation of affection lawsuits, which allow jilted spouses to seek financial damages from third parties blamed for marriage breakdowns. The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation from Sinema, who served in the U.S. House and Senate representing Arizona before her term ended early last year.
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