2 Say They Quit Packwood Over Fund-Raising : Politics: Ex-workers were asked to help collect campaign funds, paper reports. Senator’s aide claims one was fired, other left for better salary.

Two former members of Sen. Bob Packwood’s staff resigned after they were ordered to solicit campaign funds, an activity they believed was unethical and possibly illegal, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The employees felt it was wrong to do the work while on the Senate payroll, Portland’s Oregonian newspaper reported.

Robin H. Shepherd, who managed the Republican’s office in Portland until late 1984, told the Oregonian that she quit after Elaine Franklin, then director of the Portland office, told her to send letters soliciting campaign funds.

Michael K. Salsgiver, a former staff assistant in the Portland office, left in June, 1985, after Franklin made a similar demand of him, the newspaper said, citing sources it didn’t identify.

Franklin, now Packwood’s chief of staff, denied that any fund-raising went on in the office.

Franklin said Shepherd was fired after a disagreement on clerical duties and Salsgiver quit for a better paying job.

Salsgiver, who now manages Sen. Mark O. Hatfield’s Portland office, said he did not want to talk about his experience. But he did say that “Elaine’s response to why I left is inaccurate.”

Senate rules allow two or three specially designated assistants to receive, solicit and distribute campaign funds, but neither Shepherd nor Salsgiver had such a designation, the newspaper said.

The Senate ethics committee is investigating complaints that Packwood harassed or abused 10 women between 1969 and 1990.