Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Most Americans think winner of election should pick next Supreme Court justice: poll Murkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election MORE (R-Maine) said Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE must be permitted to finish his investigation into Russia’s election meddling and any potential ties between Trump campaign staff members and Moscow.

“It would be a devastating development if Mr. Mueller were in any way impeded in completing his investigation,” Collins said on CNN’s “New Day.” “It is absolutely essential that he be allowed to complete it.”

Collins’s latest remark comes amid heightened concern among Democrats and some Republicans over the special counsel’s investigation following a report in The New York Times that President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE wanted to fire Mueller last year, but backtracked when the White House counsel threatened to quit.

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Collins on Tuesday emphasized that Mueller has “great experience” and "impeccable integrity,” and therefore should be able to finish the investigation.

The Maine lawmaker, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee that is conducting its own Russia probe, said earlier this week that a bill to protect Mueller “probably wouldn’t hurt.”

“It would certainly not hurt to put that extra safeguard in place, given the latest stories,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Democrats have ramped up calls for legislation to shield Mueller following the Times’s report.