Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s onetime bodyguard and romantic partner was arrested this month in Maricopa County, Arizona, after he was accused of breaking into her home and damaging $200,000 worth of artwork and expensive alcohol.
The incident took place Aug. 30 while Sinema, I-Ariz., was out of town, according to charging documents. Matthew Ammel, 39, allegedly contacted Sinema and demanded that she post a video to her X account. He told her that if she declined to do so, he would damage a painting every 10 minutes, according to the documents.
Sinema told law enforcement officers that she refused, prompting Ammel to take down about 22 paintings and throw them into the swimming pool, according to a probable cause statement.
One of the paintings was spray-painted with black lettering and left near the front entrance, Sinema told authorities.
She also reported finding shards of glass from broken alcohol bottles scattered throughout her house and inside the pool.
Ammel was arrested Sept. 17 after being released from a mental health facility, according to the probable cause document. It was not immediately clear when Ammel entered the facility or why he was admitted.
He was charged with aggravated criminal damage and has been released on his own recognizance. Ammel is due to appear in court in early October. It is not clear whether Ammel has retained a lawyer.
This is not the first time Sinema and Ammel have made headlines. Earlier this month, a North Carolina judge ruled that the former senator could be sued under the state’s “home-wrecker” law over her relationship with Ammel, who was married at the time of their relationship.
North Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow spurned spouses to sue for “alienation of affection” and to seek compensation from a third party responsible for the breakup of their marriage. The law gives aggrieved spouses up to three years to sue. Proceedings are separate from divorces, and jilted spouses must show that the accused “took steps that a reasonable person would expect and did result in the ending of the affectionate marriage between the couple,” according to Cornell Law School.
In 2025, a North Carolina influencer was ordered to pay $1.75 million for destroying her manager’s marriage, WRAL reported.
Sinema acknowledged the affair but argued she has no connection to the state and cannot be sued there. U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected that argument, pointing to nine text messages she sent Ammel while he was in North Carolina. The judge said the suit can move forward.
The lawsuit, filed by Ammel’s ex-wife, seeks financial damages from Sinema.
According to the complaint, the Ammels had “a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema pursued Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married.
Matthew Ammel joined Sinema’s security team after retiring from the Army in 2022. He accompanied her on domestic and foreign travel for several years, according to court records, and was later given a position as national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work as her bodyguard.
