Make California Post a Preferred Source A former Kern County political heavyweight’s fall from grace has taken another turn as members of his own family have publicly spoken out about child abuse allegations against him.
Zack Scrivner, 52, spent seven years on the Bakersfield City Council and 14 years on the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
He also served as a district director for a state assemblymember and worked as a field representative and protégé of Kevin McCarthy, who would later become Speaker of the House.
But his political career unraveled after an April 2024 incident involving his family.
In February 2025, Scrivner was charged with child abuse and illegal possession of assault weapons. He was not charged with a sex crime despite allegations that he molested his daughter.
The California Attorney General’s Office has said it filed the charges it believed it could prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
Now, Scrivner’s 17-year-old son, Robert, and his estranged wife, Christina, are sharing more about what they say happened with KGET.
Robert said that on April 23, 2024, his younger sister came downstairs crying and told him their father had molested her. He confronted his father, and the situation escalated into a violent confrontation that Robert said eventually involved his father pointing a gun at family members.
He then stabbed his father with a pocket knife before the two fell down the stairs. He said his father then pointed a gun directly at his face but did not fire.
“For some miraculous reason, he didn’t shoot me,” Robert told KGET. “He had his gun right in my face. At that moment, I was just frozen.”
Robert also alleged that members of his extended family tried to keep the incident under wraps. He said his grandmother, Kathy Scrivner, initially told him and his brother that they didn’t have to tell sheriff’s deputies what had happened.
Christina Scrivner, who had separated from Zack six months before the incident, told KGET that she was focused on protecting her children and seeking justice.
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“I think the truth matters,” Christina said. “I was primarily focused on the safety and security of my children. Secondly, I did want to pursue justice for them.”
Christina said she later took the children to the Jamison Center, where they were interviewed by forensic investigators.
Both Christina and Robert say they believe the legal system ultimately failed their family. Scrivner was allowed into a mental health diversion program, meaning his case can be dismissed if he completes requirements including weekly therapy, medication when needed, employment and regular drug testing.
“I just wanted to get justice for my family,” Robert told KGET, “and I wanted my story to be heard for lawmakers to make the right decisions.”
Robert and Christina have since traveled to Sacramento to push for changes to California law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2273, known as the SCRIVNER Act, which requires prosecutors to explain on the record why certain charges that could make a defendant ineligible for diversion, were not pursued despite allegations and supporting facts.
