Bill and Hillary Clinton WILL face Congress grilling over links to Jeffrey Epstein

It came just as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives prepared to vote on holding the couple in criminal contempt for ignoring legal summonses.

The House Oversight Committee, with backing from some Democrats, approved contempt measures against the Clintons late last month.

Committee Chairman James Comer declared at the time that "no-one is above the law".

Bill Clinton features prominently in the Epstein files - though has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

No survivors of Epstein's abuse have accused him of misconduct, while he has stated he had no knowledge of Epstein's sex offending.

His testimony will mark a historic moment in American politics.

No former President has appeared before a Congressional committee since Gerald Ford in 1983.

The Clintons' legal team had previously described the subpoenas as "unenforceable".

They maintained they had already shared the "limited information" in their possession regarding Epstein.

Clinton spokesman Angel Urena said on Monday evening the couple would appear before the panel.

"They negotiated in good faith," Mr Urena wrote in a tweet directed at the House Oversight Committee. "You did not."

"They told you under oath what they know, but you don't care."

He added: "They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone."

The Clintons had previously dismissed the legal summonses as "nothing more than a ploy to attempt to embarrass political rivals, as President Trump has directed".

Chairman Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said his team had communicated with Clinton's lawyers for months.

"We communicated with President Clinton's legal team for months now, giving them opportunity after opportunity to come in, to give us a day, and they continue to delay, delay, delay," said Mr Comer.

Images released by the DoJ show the former President at Epstein's estate.

One photograph depicts Mr Clinton swimming in a pool, while another shows him reclining in what appears to be a hot tub.

Mr Urena stated when the pictures emerged that they were decades old and Clinton had ceased contact with Epstein before his crimes became public.

The Clintons sent a letter to Comer last month criticising his approach to the investigation.

"The decisions you have made, and the priorities you have set as chairman regarding the Epstein investigation, have prevented progress in discovering the facts about the government's role," the letter said.

They added: "There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics."