The ex-wife of a congressional aide has filed a lawsuit against former U.S. Sen. Krysten Sinema, claiming that an alleged affair spelled the end for Matthew and Heather Ammel’s marriage.
According to CBS News, the lawsuit claims that the Ammels had a “good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered. Attorneys for Ammel say that Sinema relentlessly pursued Matthew Ammel, despite knowing that he was married.
CBS News notes that Sinema hired Matthew Ammel as the head of her security shortly after he retired from the U.S. Army in 2022. He then accompanied Sinema on campaign-related travel to locations including Napa Valley in California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Saudi Arabia.
Sometime in early 2024, Heather Ammel allegedly discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages that her husband had sent to and received from Sinema. Later in the year, Ammel stopped wearing his wedding. Around the same time, Sinema offered Matthew Ammel a position as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work for her campaign as a professional bodyguard.
“Mr. Ammel stated it was best for ‘public optics’ so it wouldn’t look like Defendant was putting her hands on a married man when they were out at concerts and various other public events,” the lawsuit alleges.
Sinema also purportedly covered the costs of psychiatric care for Ammel, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and traumatic brain injuries resultant from military deployments to Afghanistan and the Middle East.
The lawsuit claims that, on at least one occasion, Sinema told Ammel that he should bring MDMA on a work trip “so that she could guide him through a psychedelic experience.”
Heather Ammel says that the affair lasted between the fall of 2023 and the end of 2024.
While engaged in an extramarital relationship, Ammel and Sinema reportedly traveled together often, both for work and for pleasure. The lawsuit states that the two attended numerous concerts, including concerts hosted by Green Day, Taylor Swift, and U2.
At some point in 2024, Matthew Ammel “struggled to admit” that he was having an affair with Sinema, but ultimately decided to file for divorce. Heather’s lawsuit characterizes her as a constantly “dutiful spouse and mother [who] provided a comfortable and loving home environment for her husband.”
North Carolina is one of several states that allows divorcees to sue their former spouse’s extramarital affair partners for “alienation of affection.” Amell’s lawsuit states that her husband’s “marital love and affection was alienated and destroyed” as a result of Sinema’s “intentional and unlawful actions.”
The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $25,000, as well as punitive damages and legal fees.
Sources
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