Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s ex-bodyguard turned lover allegedly trashed her Arizona home while she was out of town — causing more than $200,000 in damage as he tossed dozens of valuable paintings into her pool.
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he → turn → pool
Sinema (I-Ariz.) accused her “former boyfriend” Matthew Ammel of launching his destructive rampage through her Cave Creek home on Aug. 30, according to KPNX.
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Sinema → accuse → KPNX
Ammel, 39, allegedly threatened to destroy the former senator’s artwork every 10 minutes if she didn’t concede to his demands and make a post to X, the outlet reported, citing court documents.
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outlet → threaten → documents
The video’s description and motive behind Ammel’s demands were not revealed.
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description → reveal → demands
The 50-year-old Democrat-turned-Independent refused the order as Ammel threw approximately 22 paintings from around Sinema’s home into the pool.
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Ammel → turn → pool
Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the house on Sept. 3, where they discovered the paintings still underwater along with another piece of artwork defaced with black spray paint.
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they → call → paint
The damaged paintings were estimated at $123,015.
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paintings → damage → 123,015
Ammel also allegedly broke multiple expensive alcohol bottles, shattering them around the home and into the pool before throwing at least one at a large mounted mirror, destroying it.
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Ammel → break → it
The additional damages combined with the paintings grew to an estimated total of over $200,000.
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damages → combine → 200,000
Ammel, 39, was arrested on Sept. 19 and charged with felony criminal damage, according to court records viewed by The Post.
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Ammel → arrest → Post
He was found at a behavioral health center after a petition was filed for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation, AZFamily reported.
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AZFamily → find → evaluation
An initial court appearance was held for Ammel’s felony charge, but the suspect never physically stood before a judge because he was allegedly fighting in the hallway.
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he → hold → hallway
“They’re saying that he’s combative and he’s in the hallway,” a Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy told the court during the hearing, according to the outlet.
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deputy → say → outlet
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Report → start → news
The Army veteran, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries from his multiple deployments to the Middle East, was released without bond and placed on electronic monitoring despite court officials questioning his mental state.
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officials → suffer → state
Sinema’s relationship with her former bodyguard became public after Ammel’s ex-wife of 14 years sued the former politician under North Carolina’s “homewrecker law.”
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wife → become → law
Heather Ammel accused Sinema of destroying her marriage with her ex-husband by sustaining an affair with him during their trips together around the world.
“Prior to [Sinema’s] actions, Plaintiff and Mr. Ammel were happily married and genuine love and affection existed between them,” Heather Ammel alleged.
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Ammel → accuse → them
The affair broke out a little over a year after Ammel was hired to Sinema’s protection detail in 2022.
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Ammel → break → 2022
Sinema allegedly bought Ammel gifts and paid for him to receive psychedelic treatment during the home-wrecking relationship.
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him → buy → relationship
She invited him as a guest to a wedding and a Taylor Swift concert.
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She → invite → wedding
Sinema, the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress, admitted to having repeated sex with Ammel in cities across America beginning around Memorial Day 2024.
“We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California.
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We → elect → Napa
Matt kissed me.
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Matt → kiss → me
We went inside and had sex,” the former senator explained during her July 31 deposition, court records show.
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records → go → deposition
Heather Ammel is seeking over $75,000 in damages, and a judge has allowed the lawsuit to go forward.
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lawsuit → seek → damages
Sinema has denied the allegations and has requested a jury trial with a pretrial conference scheduled for Oct. 22, KTAR News reported.
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News → deny → Oct.