The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judge presiding over the criminal case for President Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has been recused from handling the case, a court spokeswoman said on Thursday.

According to a court filing, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras, who presided over a Dec. 1 hearing where Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia, will no longer handle the case.

Now Flynn's sentencing will be overseen by Judge Emmet Sullivan.

Court spokeswoman Lisa Klem did not say why Contreras was recused, and added that the case was randomly reassigned.

Former Nationa. Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty a week ago to lying to the FBI, an offense carrying up to five years in prison

U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras (left) was presiding over the case, but abruptly recused himself on Friday; the sentencing will be handled by Judge Emmet Sullivan (right)

Flynn has said he will provide 'full cooperation' to Special Counsel Robert Mueller in his Russia probe following his stunning guilty plea a week ago.

'My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel’s office reflect a decision I made in the best interest of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions,' Flynn said in a statement.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., hiding the extent to which he discussed a rollback of Obama-era sanctions.

Although he pleaded guilty to just a single count, it is what Flynn was prepared to tell investigators that immediately exploded across the political landscape.

Mueller's office charged him with lying to the FBI about Russia as well as efforts to derail a UN Security Council resolution.

Robert Mueller (left) netted a big fish by taking down Flynn, who may have a deal is in the works to implicate more people from the inner circle of President Donald Trump (right)

Flynn said in a statement last week: 'After over thirty-three years of military service to our country including five years in combat away from my family and then my decision to continue to serve the United States, it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of treason and other outrageous acts.'

'Such false accusations are contrary to everything I’ve ever done and stood for,' Flynn said.

'But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong. Through my faith in God I am working to set things right. My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel’s office reflect a decision I made in the best interest of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.'

Sergey Kislyak was Russia's ambassador to the U.S. when Flynn spoke to him before Trump's inauguration. Four days later Flynn lied to the FBI about what he said to the Putin diplomat

Judge Contreras accepted the plea and said: 'There will be no trial and there will be probably no appeal.'

According to an information released by Mueller's office, Flynn willfully made 'false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements in a matter within the jurisdiction' of the U.S. government, including the FBI.

According to the statement of offense, a 'very senior' member of the transition 'directed' Flynn to reach out to foreign leaders about the UN resolution – 'including Russia' – to find out where the leaders stood.

Lying to the FBI is a felony that carries a fine and up to five years in prison.