Story highlights Flynn's ties to Russia have been scrutinized since Trump tapped him to be national security adviser

His call with the Russian ambassador came the same day the White House ordered sanctions on Russia

Washington (CNN) Retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for national security advisor, has been in contact with Russia's ambassador to Washington, Trump's team told CNN Friday.

Sean Spicer, Trump's spokesman, said Flynn and the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, aren't in frequent contact but they have been in touch recently on a number of issues.

Some instances included when the two had a conversation in the wake of the shooting of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, in which Flynn expressed his condolences, according to a transition official. The two men also exchanged holiday pleasantries via text message on Christmas, according to multiple transition officials.

The Russian ambassador texted Flynn on December 28 but the two did not connect by phone until December 29, according to a transition official.

A centuries-old law, the Logan Act, forbids any US citizen acting without official US authority from influencing "disputes or controversies" involving the US and a foreign government.

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