The drama unfolds
It’s giving major chaos energy. Matthew Ammel, a 39-year-old US Army veteran and former security team member for Kyrsten Sinema, is currently sitting in a Buckeye jail on a $25,000 bond. Ammel is facing serious heat after allegedly trashing Sinema’s home in late August, causing over $200,000 in damages.
According to court docs filed Monday, Ammel allegedly broke his no-contact order by having a bail bondsman reach out to Sinema to ask her to pay his bond. Sinema’s lawyer, Colleen Clase, didn't hold back, calling the move "witness harassment and intimidation."
The allegations
Real talk, the situation is spiraling. Investigators claim Ammel threatened to "take down" Sinema and allegedly threatened to kill a judge in North Carolina. Reports also suggest he was trying to buy a gun and was allegedly coordinating with military friends to build a rifle.
When he allegedly trashed Sinema’s home while she was away, it was reportedly because he was "p—d" at the US political system. He specifically demanded she post a video about soldiers in Iraq and use her Pentagon connections to help his old unit get a citation. When she didn't comply, he allegedly threw 22 paintings into her pool and shattered expensive alcohol bottles. Ammel was eventually arrested in a Phoenix parking lot on September 29 after his GPS monitor gave him away.
Why it matters
Prosecutors are now pushing for a $100,000 cash-only bond—or to make the case non-bondable entirely—to protect Sinema and the community. Given the history of alleged threats against her life, Sinema's legal team is highkey concerned about her safety. This whole saga brings a messy, public end to a relationship that started while the two were traveling the world together.
