A former lawmaker faced an audacious request from her jailed former bodyguard turned ex-boyfriend, who allegedly asked her to post his bond despite being locked up for making violent threats against her.
The bizarre request emerged in a court filing after the suspect, Matthew Ammel, a 39-year-old former Green Beret, was re-arrested for breaching his pretrial release conditions following a destructive rampage at former Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Cave Creek home, according to Arizona Republic.
Ammel, who joined Sinema’s security team after he retired from the Army in 2022, is accused of causing more than $200,000 in property damage—including tossing 22 paintings into her swimming pool, shattering expensive alcohol bottles, and smashing mirrors—after she refused his demands to post a video about soldiers in Iraq.
“The defendant had a bail bondsman call K.S. and ask that she post his bond,” attorney Colleen Clase wrote in an October 5 court filing on behalf of Sinema, the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress. “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.”
The latest legal clash comes after Ammel was taken into custody in a Phoenix restaurant parking lot when law enforcement tracked his ankle monitor to a nearby gun shop.
Investigators discovered Ammel had brought a large, military-style knife to be engraved as a gift, violating his pretrial release terms, while allegedly attempting to buy a firearm, threatening to “take down” Sinema, and making threats against a North Carolina judge.
Prosecutors also revealed Ammel had contacted military friends to build him a rifle, purchased tactical gear, and discussed funeral arrangements.
Ammel previously stated he trashed Sinema’s residence out of frustration at her relationship with an American artificial intelligence developer alongside broader political grievances, while also struggling with brain injuries and PTSD from his military service.
The tangled personal saga first erupted publicly after Ammel’s ex-wife filed a lawsuit against Sinema under North Carolina’s “homewrecker” statute, alleging the former senator engaged in an affair with her husband during security trips across the country.
Sinema admitted to intimacy with Ammel starting around Memorial Day 2024 while he was still married, including during trips to New York for a news anchor’s wedding.
Sinema’s legal team is now urging the court to either declare Ammel non-bondable or substantially increase his current $25,000 bail amount to a higher cash-only sum to ensure public safety.
“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,” Clase wrote.
Ammel, who previously refused to leave his cell at the Buckeye jail for a scheduled arraignment, remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on October 15.
The Daily Beast has contacted Sinema and Ammel’s attorneys for comment.
