Court Rules Former Senator Can Be Sued Under Homewrecker Law in North Carolina

A federal judge ruled on Friday that former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema(I-AZ) can be sued under a homewrecker law in North Carolina.

In August, it was reported that Sinema admitted in a July deposition to having an affair with her security guard, Matthew Ammel, while she served in Congress. Sinema said she knew Ammel was married and that the sexual affair began on May 27, 2024. The two had been exchanging romantic texts for months.

"We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California," she said . "We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex." On another occasion, the former senator said she and Ammel had sex in New York while in town for CNN host Jessica Dean'swedding. Sinema also admitted to having sex with Ammel in Washington, Colorado, and Arizona, but not in North Carolina.

Ammel's ex-wife, Heather Ammel, is suing Sinema under North Carolina's homewrecker statute. Sinema argued that she could not be sued because she has no connection to the state. However, U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon disagreed . He pointed to the fact that Sinema sent nine text messages to Ammel while he was in North Carolina, which Bragdon said gives the state jurisdiction.

North Carolina law allows spouses to sue for "alienation of affection" and to seek compensatory damages from a third party responsible for the dissolution of a marriage.

In her lawsuit, Heather Ammel stated that she and her ex-husband had "a good and loving marriage" with "genuine love and affection" before Sinema arrived on the scene.

Sinema declined to run for reelection in 2024 and is now a lobbyist for Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, where she lobbies on behalf of AI and cryptocurrency companies, among other interests.

The post Court Rules Former Senator Can Be Sued Under Homewrecker Law in North Carolina first appeared on Mediaite .