I am an askan. I have never manipulated a single Rav. I have also been extremely cautious in presenting information to rabbonim, including being brutally honest with information, and never pressuring anyone to pasken or take any action based on my word alone. Yet, I am aware that there are certain askanim that do exactly as is alleged in the OP. I can say, having spoken directly to many rabbonim, that there were many forged or coerced signatures on some of the bans on some things. In the case of Rav Shmuel shlit”a, his signatures were elicited by direct manipulation. he stated so publicly, and I heard it from him directly.
I would not brand all askanim as dishonest, not even a majority. But there are those that give a bad name to rest of us. It’s unfortunate, because many, if not most, of the advances that have happened in Klal Yisroel for the past many years are direct results of the work of askanim.
Have any readers here ever attended a levaya ch”v of someone famous? There is some organization and order, including police protection in place. Just who arranges that? Askanim. There are countless examples I can cite, but will not spend the time now. There is much work to do.
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