Who is Matthew Ammel? Kristen Sinema bodyguard at center of affair lawsuit

Bodyguard Matthew Ammel has been accused of having an affair with Kyrsten Sinema, a former U.S. senator from Arizona, while working in her security detail.

Matthew Ammel’s ex-wife Heather Ammel made the allegation in a lawsuit, filed in North Carolina, and said the alleged affair led to the breakdown of their marriage.

Newsweek reached out to Heather Ammel’s attorneys and Sinema by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

While Sinema is no longer a member of Congress, there is considerable public interest in the activities of former politicians.

Heather Ammel is seeking at least $25,000 from Sinema so the lawsuit has financial implications. The lawsuit is filed under alienation of affection, a way in which spouses can seek damages from a third party. There are only a few states in America that allow this type of suit.

What To Know

According to the lawsuit, Matthew and Heather Ammel got married in October 2010 and during their marriage they had three children. They separated 14 years later, in November 2024.

Matthew Ammel was previously in the U.S. army, where he was deployed to Afghanistan and to the Middle East on four separate occasions, the lawsuit said. It added that his time in the army resulted in him suffering from substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injuries.

After leaving the army in 2020, Matthew Ammel started a tree removal company in Tennessee with a friend, the lawsuit said. According to corporations data reviewed by Newsweek, he also created a company called Matthew Ammel LLC in 2023, and dissolved it in December 2025. The purpose of the company is not known.

In 2022, he officially retired from the army. He then worked as a shooting, driving and breaching instructor for Ridgeline Defense and as a maritime operations instructor in Tunisia. He was then hired by firearm company Staccato to train law enforcement on how to use pistols, the lawsuit read.

Newsweek reached out to Ridgeline Defense and Staccato by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.

Sinema’s head of security then hired Matthew Ammel in 2022. The lawsuit said he then accompanied her to various destinations including Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia for work trips and that Heather Ammel and Sinema met.

In January 2024, Heather Ammel alleged she discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages between Matthew Ammel and Sinema. The lawsuit also said Sinema encouraged Matthew Ammel to bring drugs to a work trip and bought him gifts and concert tickets.

What People Are Saying

The lawsuit said: “Prior to Defendant’s intentional and malicious interference, Plaintiff and Mr. Ammel had a good and loving marriage, and genuine love and affection existed between them.”

What Happens Next

Sinema is yet to publicly respond to the claims made in the lawsuit.