A federal judge ruled on Friday, September 4, 2026, that former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) can be sued under a North Carolina law often referred to as a "homewrecker" law. The ruling by U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon allows a lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel, the ex-wife of a former security guard for Sinema, to proceed. Heather Ammel is seeking financial damages from the former lawmaker, alleging that Sinema's romantic relationship with her then-husband, Matthew Ammel, led to the end of their marriage.
The legal action centers on North Carolina’s "alienation of affection" statute, which permits a spouse to seek compensation from a third party for the destruction of a marriage. Sinema, who served one term in the Senate ending in early 2025, admitted during a July deposition that she had a sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel starting in May 2024. Her attorneys had requested a dismissal, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction because Sinema has no personal ties to North Carolina and the encounters occurred in other states, including California, New York, and Arizona.
Judge Bragdon rejected the dismissal request, citing nine text messages Sinema sent to Matthew Ammel while he was at his residence in North Carolina. The judge stated these messages demonstrated the building of a romantic relationship that reached into the Ammel home. Heather Ammel’s lawsuit, filed late last year, seeks at least $75,000 in damages. She alleged that her husband’s relationship with Sinema moved beyond professional bounds after he retired from the Army in 2022 to join Sinema’s security detail and later became a national security fellow in her Senate office.
The scale of the case involves a minimum claim of $75,000 in damages, which is approximately the yearly income for a typical American household. The plaintiff, Heather Ammel, seeks this amount as compensation for what she described as a "good and loving marriage" that ended when the couple separated on November 1, 2024. For those involved in high-profile public service or private security, the case sets a precedent regarding the jurisdictional reach of state laws over electronic communications sent across state lines. A person living outside North Carolina may notice that digital interactions—such as the nine text messages cited here—can be sufficient to trigger the state's legal authority.
The knock-on effects of this litigation could impact how public officials manage relationships with their staff and security details, as the lawsuit alleges Sinema provided Matthew Ammel with professional roles and paid for medical treatments during their relationship. It reinforces the legal risks associated with "alienation of affection" in the states where it remains valid. What happens next is a trial or further discovery to determine the merits of Heather Ammel's claims, now that the jurisdictional hurdle has been cleared. No specific trial date was reported in the current findings.