A former bodyguard for U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema was arrested last week after investigators say he allegedly ransacked her Arizona residence, causing roughly $200,000 in damage, The New York Times reported.
Maricopa County authorities identified the suspect as 39-year-old Matthew Ammel. Investigators say Ammel tossed nearly two dozen paintings into Sinema's pool and smashed high-end bottles of liquor, among other destruction. Sinema was not at home when the alleged damage occurred, according to the report.
Sinema provided law enforcement with text messages and security-camera footage and described Ammel as her "former boyfriend." In documents obtained by the newspaper, investigators wrote that Ammel entered the home and demanded that Sinema post a video to her Twitter account. "Kyrsten stated [Matthew] Ammel told her that if she did not post the video, he would damage her painting every 10 minutes until Kyrsten posted the video," the report noted.
Related Lawsuit and Allegations
Earlier this year, Ammel's ex-wife, Heather Ammel, filed a suit in North Carolina accusing Sinema of having an affair with her husband and of contributing to the breakdown of their marriage. The complaint relies on North Carolina's "alienation of affection" statute — one of six U.S. states that still allow such claims, which seek damages from a third party alleged to have intentionally interfered with a marriage.
The ex-wife's complaint also states that Ammel has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. It alleges that Sinema paid for psychedelic-assisted therapy aimed at treating Ammel's PTSD, substance abuse and brain injuries tied to his military service, and that she employed him as a national security fellow on her Senate staff in June 2024 while he continued working on her security detail.
Court Proceedings And Current Status
At a recent hearing, Ammel reportedly became combative and refused to appear on camera. He was released from custody with conditions that include wearing an ankle monitor and faces a charge of aggravated criminal damage, according to reporting.
Judicial filings in the civil case show a judge previously denied Sinema's motion to dismiss Heather Ammel's lawsuit. The judge found that Sinema sent nine messages via the encrypted Signal app while Matthew Ammel was at his family home in Whispering Pines, North Carolina, and concluded that Sinema's testimony denying knowledge of his location was not credible. The judge wrote that those messages demonstrated communications that intruded upon the marriage both during trips and while Ammel was at home with his family.
The allegations remain subject to ongoing criminal and civil proceedings. No criminal conviction has been reported.
