Ex-Sen. Sinema’s Ex-Bodyguard Faces Felony Charges After Home Ransacking
Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s ex-bodyguard faces felony charges after allegedly ransacking her home and damaging over $200,000 in property.
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Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s ex-bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, now faces felony charges after allegedly ransacking her Cave Creek home and damaging over $200,000 in property. The incident occurred on August 30, when Ammel entered the home while Sinema was out of town and demanded she post a video to her X account. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to destroy one of her paintings every 10 minutes.
Relationship and Legal Troubles
As previously reported, Sinema admitted in sworn court papers that her relationship with Ammel became “romantic and intimate” in May 2024, while she was still serving in the U.S. Senate and while he was still married. The relationship included encounters in various locations, including Sonoma/Napa, New York City, Washington, D.C., Aspen, and Phoenix.
Ammel, a retired Army veteran, joined Sinema’s security detail in 2022. Court records in a North Carolina case describe him as a troubled veteran with brain injuries who struggled after leaving the military. Sinema’s campaign and related committees paid him more than $100,000 after she left office. His ex-wife has alleged Sinema showered him with gifts, concert tickets, and even encouraged psychedelic drug use.
Legal Proceedings and Charges
Earlier this month, a federal judge in North Carolina denied Sinema’s motion to dismiss, found her testimony “has not been credible” on several points, and allowed the homewrecker case to proceed. Heather Ammel, Ammel’s ex-wife, filed a lawsuit accusing Sinema of destroying a 14-year marriage under North Carolina’s alienation-of-affection statute.
According to court documents first reported by AZFamily, Ammel entered Sinema’s home on August 30 while she was out of town and demanded she post a video to her X account. He allegedly threatened to destroy one of her paintings every 10 minutes until she complied. Sinema refused.
Investigators say Ammel then pulled about 22 paintings off the walls and threw them into her swimming pool. One additional painting was found near the front entrance, spray-painted. He also smashed expensive liquor bottles and hurled a glass bottle at a wall-mounted mirror, shattering it. Deputies later found paintings floating in the pool and at the bottom. The artwork alone was valued at $123,015. Combined damage to the home and pool is estimated at more than $200,000.
Sinema turned over text messages, recordings, and surveillance video. Deputies say the footage identified Ammel. He was picked up from a behavioral health facility after a petition for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation and booked on the damage charge. He has since been released with an electronic monitor. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 5.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
