Re bent steerer: seems to me that it would be impossible to bend the tube like that if it was *inside* the steerer part of the frame with all bearings in place, without showing other damage. So it is possible that this is not the original fork (someone swapped the original drop frame fork for a bent one), or could it possibly have left the factory that way? Someone managed to build it using some force, and as you say no slop or binding so it would easily pass QC later down the line. Last possibility is some form of twist through that long stem, but can't imagine enough force there to bend the fork tube without trashing the top bearing at least.
As far as bending it back: you have nothing really to lose and I suspect you need not make it perfect.