A federal judge has ruled that former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina’s so-called homewrecker law over a romantic relationship with a married member of her security detail.
U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon denied Sinema’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Heather Ammel, the ex-wife of security guard Matthew Ammel.
Sinema has publicly admitted to having a relationship with Matthew Ammel in 2024, but her legal team argued she had no meaningful ties to North Carolina.
Her attorneys contended that the lack of connection to the state should shield her from facing a lawsuit brought under North Carolina jurisdiction.
The key factor in Bragdon’s ruling was a series of text messages Sinema sent to Matthew Ammel while he was physically present at his North Carolina home.
Those nine text messages were enough for the judge to determine that North Carolina courts have jurisdiction over the case.
Bragdon wrote in his order: “These messages, considered together, show Ms. Sinema building and furthering a romantic relationship with Mr. Ammel — invading the marriage not just while he was away on trips with her but while he was home with his family in North Carolina.”
North Carolina is among a small number of states that still recognize “alienation of affection” claims, which allow spouses to pursue damages from a third party deemed responsible for destroying their marriage.
Heather Ammel filed the lawsuit against the former senator at the end of last year, seeking at least $75,000 in damages from Sinema.
The case draws renewed attention to the rarely used civil tort, which critics argue is an outdated legal relic but which North Carolina courts have continued to uphold.
Sinema, a former independent senator from Arizona, did not seek reelection and left office in January 2025 after a single term that saw her depart from the Democratic Party.
The lawsuit now moves forward, with Sinema facing potential financial liability under a state law that has largely disappeared from American jurisprudence outside a handful of jurisdictions.
