A California lawmaker who was spared jail time for felony child abuse stemming from accusations he inappropriately touched one of his children could soon face federal charges if a local congressman has his way.
Zack Scrivner, a former Kern County supervisor, was charged in February 2025 with child abuse and possession of assault weapons. He avoided harsher charges of child sexual-assault because he was under the influence of drugs at the time and instead entered a mental-health diversion program.
In response, US. Rep. David Valadao said he contacted the Department of Justice to investigate the lack of charges.
“There must be full transparency and accountability for how this case was handled,” Valado said in a statement to KGET. “Democrats in Sacramento could fix this problem tomorrow, but choose not to.”
Scrivner was accused of climbing into bed with the pre-teen child in April 2024 and touching her inappropriately.
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California lawmakers have ripped the “Epstein loophole” that allowed Scrivner to dodge jail by entering the diversion program. Critics of the 2018 program law said it’s being used as a get-out-of-jail free card by serious offenders.
“In the absence of their leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice should step in to review the charges, the legal decisions that were made, and whether justice was adequately served,” Valadao said.
A petition to appeal the mental-health diversion decision has been signed by nearly 3,000 people.
Scrivner’s local political ties run deep and he is the nephew of Kern County’s district attorney, who alerted authorities to his alleged crimes and recused herself from the case.
Police responded to Scrivner’s home to find him stabbed by one of his children after allegedly sexually assaulting his other child, according to county Sheriff Donny Youngblood.
Scrivner’s four minor children were inside the home, while his wife — who had filed for divorce — was out. Cops later found 30 firearms, psychedelic mushrooms, electronic devices and potential evidence of sexual assault inside the home, the Times reported.
The Scrivner family has been called a political dynasty. Scrivner’s mother, Kathy, who is a member of the Kern High School District Board of Trustees, was recently accused of interrupting a police interview with two minors at the home the night of the incident and telling the boys to “keep quiet,” KGET reported.
