Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema faces $25K lawsuit for allegedly destroying a 14-year marriage

Kyrsten Sinema's legal troubles just got a whole lot messier.

The former U.S. senator, an independent from Arizona and out bisexual woman, is facing a federal lawsuit from the ex-wife of her former bodyguard for allegedly engaging in “repeated episodes of sexual intercourse" with him while he was still married.

Heather Ammel filed the lawsuit, first obtained by PEOPLE, on September 30 after permanently separating from Matthew Ammel November 2024. Matthew was hired by Sinema after retiring from the army in 2022, and remained employed until her retirement from the Senate in 2025.

Related: Eight times Kyrsten Sinema let down the LGBTQ+ community — and others

Heather alleges that shortly after Matthew was hired, the head of Sinema's security team resigned, expressing to him concerns that the senator was having sexual relations with other bodyguards. Matthew stayed, as their family needed the income, accompanying Sinema on several trips, including one a year later when she brought him to a U2 concert in Las Vegas as a "gift."

Sinema and Matthew often "stayed alone together" at hotels and even her private residences, according to the suit. Sinema frequently purchased him gifts, including a theragun to "work on his back" while he traveled with her for work.

Heather noticed Matthew and Sinema were exchanging messages "of romantic and lascivious natures" on Signal in 2024, the suit states, one of which included an image of the senator in a towel. In June, she offered him a salaried position as a member of her staff.

Sinema also allegedly told Matthew — who suffers from substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a traumatic brain injury due to his time in the military — that he should bring MDMA on a work trip so "she could guide him through a psychedelic experience." The senator would later pay for Matthew to receive psychedelic treatment while traveling. (Sinema has spent her time since leaving the Senate promoting the psychedelic drug ibogaine as treatment for mental health disorders.)

Sinema messaged Matthew in October that year, "I miss you. Putting my hand on your heart. I’ll see you soon." Heather saw the message and replied, "Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family." Matthew and Heather then officially separated in November, though the lawsuit states Matthew "struggled to admit" that he was having an affair. The two had been married for 14 years, and had three children together.

Related: How Bisexual Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Is Endangering LGBTQ+ Rights

Heather and Matthew's primary residence during this time was Moore County, North Carolina. The state is one of six that has an alienation of affection statute, which allows a married person to bring a civil lawsuit against their spouse's affair partner. Heather is seeking $25,000 in damages, marking just one of the legal challenges currently facing the former senator.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint against Sinema with the Federal Election Commission in December, accusing her of using campaign contributions to fund trips to Europe, Aspen, and California’s wine country after she announced she would not seek reelection.

Sinema’s campaign, Sinema for Arizona, spent more than $100,000 on travel-related expenses between March and September 2024, according to the complaint, including $3,120 for lodging and dining in Italy and $8,000 on a Boston trip tied to the marathon, which were not connected to any campaign or Senate business.