Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema testified that she repeatedly had sex with her then-married security guard while she was in office representing Arizona, according to federal court filings.
Matthew Ammel's ex-wife, Heather Ammel, is suing the Democrat-turned-independent, who left office at the beginning of last year, for allegedly breaking up her 14-year marriage.
Heather Ammel sued Sinema in a North Carolina court under the state’s alienation-of-affection law. Sinema's legal team moved the case to federal court, then sought dismissal there, arguing her relationship with Matthew Ammel occurred outside North Carolina and that the federal court lacked personal jurisdiction over her.
Sinema, who is unmarried, said in a July 31 deposition that she first had sex with Ammel around Memorial Day 2024.
"We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex," Sinema said in her deposition, which took place at a law office in Raleigh.
Sinema said she and Ammel were staying at the property with her friends Penny and Grant Croissant, along with another member of her security detail.
Their next tryst came in June when Sinema said she attended the wedding of CNN anchor Jessica Dean in New York City. She and Ammel had separate hotel rooms but were "intimate" in Sinema's room, she said in the deposition.
In mid-July, the two had sex at her Washington, D.C., apartment after taking a red-eye flight from the West Coast, Sinema said, according to the transcript.
And in mid-August, Sinema and Ammel traveled to Aspen, Colorado, for a "fundraising trip." She had sex with him again during that trip, she said.
Sinema was not able to recall another supposed sexual encounter with him in Washington, D.C., in late September, though Ammel confirmed it in his own deposition.
The affair continued into October 2024, when the two had sex at Sinema's house in Phoenix.
Sinema acknowledged that she knew Ammel had three children and was married amid all the sexual encounters.
During her deposition, a lawyer asked Sinema about a photo she texted to Ammel of herself in a towel.
"I'm an endurance athlete. So a photograph of me with cupping marks is about sports," Sinema responded, saying she didn't specifically recall a photo of herself in a towel that she sent.
In another message to Ammel, Sinema wrote, "Putting my hand on your heart. I'll see you soon. I miss you."
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"You understand, Ms. Sinema, don't you, that a wife reading this might get concerned about who is sending her husband that kind of message referring to putting his — her hand on his heart? Can you see that?" the lawyer asked. Sinema said, "Yes."
Heather Ammel also sat for a deposition in the case. She recalled discovering the affair when her husband came home "severely intoxicated" while they were staying at her parent's house, according to her testimony.
In the deposition, Heather Ammel read aloud a message she discovered on her husband's phone from Sinema.
"I hope your day was okay. Thinking of you. I am with you. I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me," the message read. A screenshot of the message was visible in court filings.
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In a text message she sent to her husband in June 2024, Heather Ammel described Sinema as "insidious" and "a woman who is willing to break up a family."
Later in the deposition, Heather Ammel testified that her husband is an "established liar and manipulator," adding that she thought he was "actively manipulating" her and Sinema.
The Ammels separated on Nov. 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026, according to court records.
In the case against Sinema, there will be an evidentiary hearing on Aug. 19, per court documents.
