A California politician, accused of inappropriately touching a child, has evaded prison on a felony child abuse charge, but could soon be facing federal charges thanks to local lawmakers.
Zach Scribner, a former Kern County Supervisor, was charged in February 2025 with child abuse and illegal possession of an assault weapon. Due to being under the influence of drugs at the time, he managed to avoid harsher charges related to child sexual assault, opting instead for a mental health diversion program.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative David Valadao has reached out to the Justice Department to address the apparent lack of charges against Scribner.
Valadao stated, “There needs to be full transparency and accountability regarding how this case was managed. Democrats in Sacramento could rectify this issue immediately, but choose not to.” Scribner is alleged to have climbed into bed with a pre-teen and engaged in inappropriate behavior in April 2024.
California lawmakers have acted against what some refer to as the “Epstein loophole,” which allowed Scribner to avoid prison through this diversion program. Critics have pointed out that this 2018 law is being misused by felons.
Valadao further commented that, “In the absence of effective leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice should step in to scrutinize the charges and legal decisions made to ensure justice was served.” A petition calling for the reversal of the mental health diversion decision has gathered nearly 3,000 signatures.
In a controversial move, Scribner, who is closely tied to local politics and is related to the Kern County district attorney, reportedly notified authorities about his alleged offenses before stepping back from the case. Upon police arrival at his home, they discovered one child had been tragically stabbed to death, and Scribner was accused of sexually assaulting another child. His four minor children were present at the time, while his wife was away filing for divorce. Police found 30 firearms, psychedelic mushrooms, and other potential evidence within the home.
The Scribner family is well-known within the local political landscape. Scribner’s mother, Kathy, who serves on the Kern High School District Board of Directors, has been accused of trying to intervene during a police interview with two minors at their home the night of the incident, allegedly instructing them to “be quiet.”
