Sen. Susan Collins: 'Absolutely Essential' Mueller Completes Probe

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller "has to be allowed to finish" his investigation.

"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," in response to a report in The New York Times that Trump wanted to dismiss Mueller last year.

"It is absolutely essential that he be allowed to complete it," she continued. Mueller "is a person of great experience, impeccable integrity, whose appointment was praised by both sides of the aisle, and he has to be allowed to finish his work."

Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Monday that "it probably wouldn't hurt for us to pass" a bill protecting Mueller.

"There are some constitutional issues with those bills, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to put that extra safeguard in place given the latest stories," though she then expressed her faith in Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

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