Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema asked a judge to quickly raise the bond for her ex-boyfriend and former bodyguard after he allegedly made threats against her life — and then asked her to post his $25,000 bond.
It wasn’t the first time Matthew Ammel was accused of contacting Sinema, despite the protection order she took out against him in September.
Ammel is accused of going on a violent rampage in Sinema's Cave Creek home
while she was away and allegedly making threats to "take her down."“The defendant had a bail bondsman call K.S. and ask that she post his bond,” Sinema attorney Colleen Clase wrote in a filing Oct. 5. “This is a form of indirect contact, constitutes witness harassment and intimidation, and causes substantial concern given the recent
history of threats made against her life.”
Ammel is accused of causing more than $200,000 in damage after he tossed 22 paintings into her swimming pool at the end of August. A grand jury indicted him on one count of criminal damage, which is a class 4 felony.
The former Green Beret soldier told The Republic in an interview that he destroyed Sinema's art because he was frustrated by her relationship with a U.S. Artificial Intelligence developer amid the wars in Gaza and Iran.
Ammel was arrested again Sept. 29 after officials accused him of violating his pretrial release conditions by bringing a large, military-style knife to a gun store.
Ammel also allegedly made threats against a North Carolina judge and asked military friends to build him a rifle, according to a filing by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors urged the court to set a $100,000 cash-only bond for Ammel, saying he is a danger to Sinema and the broader community.
Sinema’s lawyer asked in the latest filing that Ammel either be made non-bondable or that his bond be “much larger.” Clase did not respond to a request for comment.
“The nature and seriousness of the threats, the defendant’s criminal history, past evidence concerning the Defendant's conduct, and the need for appropriate conditions of release if he is not deemed nonbondable need to be sufficient to protect K.S. and the community,” Sinema's lawyer wrote.
Ammel is due in court on Oct. 15. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
He was set to appear in court Oct. 1, but officials said he refused to be transported from the Buckeye jail where he is being held.
Ammel, 39, is the man at the center of a “homewrecker” lawsuit that his ex-wife filed against Sinema in North Carolina. Ammel and Sinema began a sexual affair at the end of Sinema's Senate term, in May 2024, before he was divorced. Sinema is not married.
Ammel struggles with brain injuries and PTSD from his time in the military. He and Sinema, 50, worked together to encourage lawmakers to fund trials of the psychedelic drug Ibogaine, which Ammel uses.
According to Ammel, Sinema also helped him get a job at Arizona State University, which a university spokesperson said was set to end Oct. 31.
The North Carolina man is also facing felony charges in his home state. Ammel was accused of strangling medical staff at a facility where he was involuntarily committed after making threats against his property manager.
Republic reporter Perry Vandell contributed to this report.
Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She co-hosts “The Gaggle,” The Republic’s weekly politics podcast. Reach her at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com, on X and TikTok @stephanie_murr and on Instagram @stephaniemurray.news.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sinema's ex accused of threatening her, then asking her to post bond
