Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has been sued by the ex-wife of a former aide who served as a member of her security detail and later as a salaried member of her Senate staff, working as a defense and national security fellow, The Hill reports. The plaintiff, Heather Ammel, accused Sinema of causing the breakup of her 14-year marriage to Matthew Ammel. According to the Associated Press, Heather alleges that she and Matthew had “a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered by pursuing a romantic relationship with Matthew, despite knowing he was married. The lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 from Sinema. 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 More from the Associated Press: The Arizona lawmaker’s head of security hired Matthew Ammel after he retired from the Army in 2022, according to the lawsuit, which says he accompanied her on travels to destinations including Napa Valley, California; Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia. In early 2024, Ammel’s wife discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages he’d exchanged with Sinema over the Signal messaging app. That summer, he stopped wearing his wedding ring and Sinema gave him a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work for her campaign as a bodyguard, the lawsuit alleges. Sinema also paid for psychedelic treatment for Ammel, who has struggled with post-traumatic stress, substance abuse and traumatic brain injuries tied to his military deployments in Afghanistan and the Middle East, according to the lawsuit. Sinema and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit was quietly filed late last year in Moore County, North Carolina. It captured global attention this week when it was moved to federal court. North Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow jilted spouses to sue for “alienation of affection” to seek damages from a third party responsible for the breakup of their marriage. Sinema left Congress after the 2024 election. She declined to seek reelection to the Senate, capping a tumultuous single term in which she alienated liberals and left the Democratic Party to become an independent. She now works for the Washington-based legal and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. She has lobbied for data center development and research funding for the psychedelic drug ibogaine. The Hill added that the lawsuit alleges Sinema asked Matthew Ammel to “bring MDMA on a work trip so that she could guide him through a psychedelic experience and that she messaged him about sexual positions in certain scenarios.” Kyrsten Sinema accused of being a homewrecker, pushing her ex-bodyguard to take molly in bonkers lawsuit https://t.co/OrV2MCdZfq pic.twitter.com/AxfMrcCAda — New York Post (@nypost) January 15, 2026 The Hill explained further: The lawsuit also notes Sinema’s head of security resigned from her position in the fall of 2023 because she expressed concerns to Matthew Ammel that Sinema was “having sexual relations with other security members.” The former head of Sinema’s security encouraged Matthew Ammel to also quit, but he decided to stay “due to the financial security of the job,” according to the complaint. It states Sinema offered Matthew Ammel a salaried position on her staff in June 2024. Soon thereafter, he “struggled to admit” to his wife that he was having an affair with Sinema but announced that he planned to leave Heather Ammel and filed for divorce. Her complaint states she was a “dutiful spouse and mother and provided a comfortable and loving home environment for her husband.” It states her husband’s “marital love and affection was alienated and destroyed” as a direct result of Sinema’s “intentional and unlawful actions.” Heather Ammel and her ex-husband had three children together. She says she suffered damages in excess of $25,000 as a “direct and proximate result” of the former senator’s actions. She is seeking punitive damages and to have her attorney’s fees paid by Sinema and has asked for a trial by jury.