Kyrsten Sinema gave $9,000 to man she’s accused of having an affair with

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Marina DunbarFebruary 1, 2026 at 08:37 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Newly filed documents reveal that Kyrsten Sinema's former campaign committee paid Matthew Ammel, identified in court filings as having an affair with Sinema, nearly $9,000 in October. These payments, listed as "payroll," were made shortly after Ammel's estranged wife accused Sinema of damaging their marriage in a lawsuit. FEC records show Ammel received over $128,000 from Sinema's campaign and PAC between July 2024 and October 2025. The lawsuit alleges Sinema purchased gifts and concert tickets for Ammel and encouraged his drug use. Sinema's committee also spent funds on expenses seemingly unrelated to campaigning, including "health services" for security, travel, and entertainment, before formally shutting down and refunding nearly $600,000 to donors. Sinema left Congress after the 2024 election.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Arizona ×230% Saudi Arabia ×235% North Carolina 40% Federal Election Commission (FEC) 60% Sinema for Arizona ×370% Heather Ammel ×375% Matthew J Ammel ×685% Kyrsten Sinema ×995%

Keywords

kyrsten sinema 100% affair 90% campaign finance 80% fec filings 70% matthew ammel 70% lawsuit 60% political action committee 50% campaign expenses 40% security detail 40%