Too Weird to Check: From Senator to … House-Wrecker?

When Kyrsten Sinema retired from the Senate last year, she rode out on a wave of moral strength. She had defended the Senate from the depredations of her own party by refusing to end the filibuster. Sinema had largely supported the Biden Regency but had proven stubbornly independent on immigration issues; she blasted Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries for diverting border funds from Arizona to New York (!), and spoke out early about the border crisis while fellow Democrats refused to acknowledge it. Sinema had also sent a “f*** off” message to progressive activists over a minimum-wage increase. 

One would have expected the youngest voluntary Senate retiree to either exit public life quietly or use her moral capital to push for more centrist-based policies. Instead, the former Senate retiree has returned to public life as an alleged homewrecker:

Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the Democrat turned independent who served one term before leaving office last year, was accused in federal court this week of conducting an affair with a member of her Senate security team, a married father of three.

In a complaint filed in North Carolina, the ex-wife of Matthew Ammel, who worked on Ms. Sinema’s staff for two years, accused the former senator of seducing him and breaking up their marriage.

Heather Ammel claimed in her suit that Ms. Sinema sent Mr. Ammel sexually suggestive photographs on Signal, the encrypted messaging app; chose him to accompany her on trips to Napa Valley and to the Sphere, an events venue, in Las Vegas; paid for him to enter psychedelic treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues; encouraged him to bring drugs on work trips so she could guide him through a psychedelic trip; showered him with gifts and concert tickets; and eventually entered into a sexual relationship with him that caused him to leave his family.

Interestingly, North Carolina is one of the few states where alienation of affection remains a legal construct in divorces. The wife wants damages from Sinema as Ammel’s alleged affair partner, claiming that Sinema’s actions destroyed the marriage and led to the end of the wife’s family economics. The “more than $75,000” claim is a baseline; the jury could decide to escalate such damages as they see fit. 

That might get costly for Sinema, whose pension plan could be at risk, depending on whether the Senate Ethics Committee decides to take a close look at the complaint. The alleged affair started before Sinema left office a year ago, and used public funds to keep her affair partner close. The complaint itself offers some wild reading. The alleged affair started in 2023, and it sounds like sex, drugs, and rock & roll, baby:

Former AZ Sen @kyrstensinema sued by the ex wife of her head of security. Lawsuit could be made into lifetime movie. 🍿 Alleging she was having sex with multiple members of security team, then started affair with married husband of 3. Jet setting & lots of concerts. @FOX10Phoenix pic.twitter.com/Ykb6iewxBY

— Ellen McNamara (@Fox10Ellen) January 15, 2026

Some notable passages include, from messages discovered by the wife:

• Paragraph 28: … Defendant [Sinema] suggested for Mr. Ammel to bring MDMA drugs on a work trip so that she could guide him through a psychedelic experience.
• Para 30: “Mr. Ammel attended a baseball game by himself, but messaged the Defendant during the game stating he was going to start a “f*** the troops” chant. Defendant responded stating that she would “f*** the hot ones.”
• Para 35: In May 2024, Defendant started purchasing gifts for Mr. Ammel and paid for him to receive psychedelic treatment. Defendant paid for Mr. Ammel’s psychedelic treatment appointment in Nashville, Tennessee, and then flew him to Napa Valley, California, for him to provide Defendant’s security at a concert.

This leads to two thoughts. First, who knew that partying with a sitting Senator would be this wild? But second, does the Senate know that Sinema paid her alleged paramour with public funds to carry on this affair while also consuming illegal drugs? Would the Senate Ethics Committee have nothing to say about that?

All of these are still only allegations, and these allegations have yet to be adjudicated. However, the complaint declares that these all came from text messages and other communications for which the plaintiffs have evidence. If so, that puts Ammel and Sinema in a rather difficult position. This complaint still might be false, so reserve any conclusions for the moment. If they are true, however, the best that can be said for Sinema was said 45 years ago by Bill Murray in Stripes:

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