Lurid life of married bodyguard accused of steamy affair with senator Kyrsten Sinema is revealed in new allegations of sex, drugs and choking
The bodyguard-turned-alleged lover of former Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema has faced shocking accusations of violence and psychedelic drug abuse, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
Ex-soldier Matthew Ammel, 39, is currently out on $10,000 bond over claims he strangled and punched a physician assistant who refused to discharge him from a North Carolina hospital in November.
Ammel’s ex-wife Heather, 38, described similarly wild behavior in her March 2025 divorce petition, alleging that her war-hero former spouse had a history of ‘uncontrollable bouts of anger.’
‘Defendant would oftentimes express his anger by punching the wall of the marital home, breaking and destroying furniture, and screaming at Plaintiff in fit of rage,’ her filing says.
The alleged outbursts were fueled by marijuana, alcohol and psychedelics, according to the complaint by Heather, the mother of Ammel’s three kids aged 10, 13 and 14.
The couple’s bitter divorce attracted little public attention until stay-at-home mom Heather filed a separate lawsuit blaming the split on former Grand Canyon State lawmaker Sinema, 49.
That complaint claims Sinema seduced, bedded and discussed drug taking with the US Army veteran after hiring him for her security entourage from 2022 to 2025.
Furious Heather says in the complaint that her 14-year marriage was ‘good and loving’ before the Arizona pol allegedly wooed her man with racy messages about missionary sex and a photo of herself wrapped in a towel.
Bodyguard and ex-soldier Matthew Ammel, 39, faces felony assault and strangulation charges after allegedly attacking a hospital medic – as explosive claims of drug abuse and violent rages emerge
Scandal-hit former senator Kyrsten Sinema is accused in court filings of seducing her married bodyguard with explicit messages, luxury trips – and even psychedelic drugs
Sinema even ‘suggested for Mr Ammel to bring MDMA drugs on a work trip so that she could guide him through a psychedelic experience,’ alleges the suit, which was filed in Moore County, North Carolina, before being transferred this week to federal court.
Heather previously accused Ammel of having an affair in her divorce petition but did not name Sinema, who served in the US Senate from 2019 to 2025, first as a Democrat and then as an Independent.
She wrote only: ‘Defendant has been having an illicit affair and has committed acts of illicit sexual behavior with a prominent public official, whose name shall be disclosed at a later date.’
Heather focused in her divorce complaint instead on her estranged husband’s alleged ‘verbal and emotional abuse’ and the risks his behavior posed to their children.
‘The Defendant uses profane language, screams and yells at the Plaintiff, calling her names, such as, ‘shut the f**k up’, ‘a nasty c**t’, ‘f*****g dumb b***h’, ‘awful b***h,’ and ‘worthless c**t’, often while in the presence of the minor children,’ Heather’s lawyer wrote.
She claimed Ammel had a history of ‘suicidal ideations’ and had undergone treatment for opiate and alcohol abuse in 2016 and again in 2021.
‘Defendant has a history of substance abuse, to include but not limited to, marijuana, narcotics, alcohol, and psychedelics and he continues to abuse these substances,’ Heather alleged in her complaint.
‘Defendant has left these illegal substances in areas readily accessible to the minor children, to include in the garage and in Defendant’s luggage.
Ammel’s ex-wife Heather (left) claims their 14-year marriage was ‘good and loving’ until his alleged affair – and says his drug-fueled outbursts left their children at risk
Ex-wife Heather is now seeking damages for ‘alienation of affection,’ blaming Sinema for the collapse of her marriage
‘The Defendant regularly travels out of the country to obtain and consume illegal substances. Upon information and belief, Defendant recently traveled to Mexico on or about March 25, 2025, to obtain and use psychedelics.’
In his reply and counterclaim, Ammel denied having an affair and accused Heather of domestic violence.
Her ’bouts of rage and anger’ and ‘profanity laced tirades’ made his life ‘intolerable’ prior to their November 2024 separation, he insisted in the court paper.
Heather sought sole custody of their kids but while a judge initially split parenting time between the two, he issued an emergency order on November 21 suspending Ammel’s visits.
That was one day after the Afghanistan war hero was arrested on felony charges of assault and strangulation on physician assistant Phillip Dandridge.
Ammel had been involuntarily committed to a FirstHealth facility in Pinehurst, North Carolina for allegedly threatening to shoot the manager of his rental property, according to court filings.
When Dandridge – a US army vet specializing in combat related illnesses – explained that he could not leave, Ammel allegedly pushed the medic against a wall, slammed him to the floor and punched him in the face, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Daily Mail.
He placed Dandridge ‘on his side, hugged his body from behind and wrapped his arm around the victim’s neck for a period of time,’ the warrant adds.
Ammel is accused of punching, slamming and briefly strangling a fellow Army veteran during the hospital confrontation in November, police say
Despite concerns raised by senior staff, Ammel allegedly remained part of Sinema’s security detail while their relationship continued, according to the lawsuit. Pictured: Sinema alongside Ammel at an event in October
Ammel was taken to the Moore County jail but released a day later on $10,000 bond ahead of a January 29 disposition hearing.
The Daily Mail has contacted his attorney has been contacted for comment.
Despite his alleged ‘history’ of substance abuse and bouts of PTSD stemming from Middle East combat tours, Sinema hired him in 2022 to work for her security detail.
He stayed in the role even after her outgoing head of security raised concerns that she was ‘having sexual relations with security members,’ Heather’s lawsuit claims.
Sinema allegedly took Ammel on trips to Napa Valley and Las Vegas, sent him ‘intimate’ messages and suggested MDMA and ‘psychedelic treatment’ to cure his mental health issues.
The openly bisexual lawmaker, who advocated for such treatments during her time in the US Senate, allegedly bought Ammel a Theragun and suggested he bring it to her apartment so she could ‘work on his back,’ according to Heather’s complaint.
The duo allegedly messaged about having sex missionary style with the lights on – something Sinema dismissed as ‘Boring!’
Heather’s lawsuit accuses Sinema of having ‘repeated physical, romantic or sexual encounters’ with her husband and says the lawmaker ‘should have known’ the fling would destroy the marriage.
Sinema – now working as a lobbyist – is allegedly still in relationship with Ammel and frequently travels to North Carolina to visit him, the spurned wife further claims.
Sinema, now working as a lobbyist, has not publicly commented on the allegations but is accused of maintaining a relationship with Ammel
She wants damages in excess of $25,000 for ‘alienation of affection.’
Legistorm, a database of congressional salaries, lists Ammel as a Defense and National Security Fellow in Sinema’s Senate office and says he was paid over $90,000 for six months of work between June 2024 and January 2025.
Prior to his official Congressional role, Ammel was paid from Sinema’s campaign accounts and her Getting Stuff Done (GSD) leadership PAC, per Federal Election Commission (FEC) Data.
In a recent divorce filing he said he couldn’t afford the $8,000 per month in child support he was paying Heather because his annual earnings had fallen from $250,000 to $115,000.
Lawyers for Ammel and Sinema, who divorced Blake Dain in 1999 after four years of marriage, have not responded to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
Heather’s attorney Thomas Van Camp reiterated to the Daily Mail what he alleged in the complaint: ‘Ms Sinema’s pursuit of Heather’s husband Matthew was intentional, calculated, relentless, and ultimately, successful.
‘She enticed Mr Ammel with lavish trips and concerts, an exorbitant salary for his services and psychedelic drugs. Her conduct evidenced a complete disregard for the Ammel’s marriage as well as the family as a whole.
‘Heather simply seeks to hold Ms. Sinema accountable for her destructive behavior.’
