Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly did not retaliate against the U.S. for the move, a decision Trump quickly praised. The sanctions targeted the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies that the U.S. said were involved in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and other groups. As national security adviser, Flynn will work in the West Wing close to the Oval Office and will have frequent access to Trump. The Trump team's account of Flynn's contacts with the Russian envoy changed throughout the day Friday. U.S. monitoring of Russian officials' communication within the United States is known to be common.

Source: ABC News January 14, 2017 08:02 UTC