A North Carolina lawsuit accusing former Arizona U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema of engaging in an extramarital affair with a married man has been transferred from state to federal court.
The plaintiff, Heather Ammel of Moore County, originally filed her complaint in September in Moore County Superior Court. This week, attorneys for Sinema, now a partner at the Washington law and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells, successfully moved the case to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Ammel alleges that Sinema had a romantic and intimate relationship with her husband, Matthew Ammel, who was assigned to her personal security detail while she was serving in Congress in 2023 and 2024. According to the filing, the couple separated in November 2024, roughly five months after Matthew Ammel was named a defense and national security fellow on Sinema’s staff and allegedly stopped wearing his wedding band.
North Carolina is among only six states that still recognize “alienation of affection” claims — a legal doctrine that allows a spouse to seek damages from a third party alleged to have interfered in a marriage. The other states with similar laws are Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, Utah, and South Dakota.
The 15‑page complaint details a timeline of interactions between Sinema and Ammel, including travel, concerts, and alleged use of MDMA — commonly known as Molly or Ecstasy — during their time together. Ammel is seeking at least $25,000 in compensatory damages, in addition to punitive damages for what she describes as Sinema’s “willful and wanton conduct.”
Before the separation, Heather and Matthew Ammel lived together with their three children. The suit paints a picture of marital disruption linked to the alleged relationship with Sinema, though the parties involved have not publicly verified most details at the center of the complaint.
Sinema, 49, has had a notable political career. She began as a member of the Green Party before joining the Democrats and serving in the Arizona Legislature. In 2018 she won election to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first openly bisexual woman in that chamber. In December 2022, she left the Democratic Party to become an independent, joining a small group of senators with that designation.
With the case now in federal court, the procedural path ahead could include motions to dismiss, discovery, and possibly a trial, depending on rulings from the presiding judge. Moving the case to federal court may prove advantageous to Sinema’s legal team, as federal proceedings typically involve different standards and timelines than state court litigation.
How the federal court will handle an alienation of affection claim amid the procedural and jurisdictional questions raised by Sinema’s attorneys remains to be seen. The suit has already drawn media attention due to its unusual subject matter and the public profiles of the parties involved.
