This May 6, 2014 file photo shows Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaking in National Harbor, Md.AP

Hillary Clinton claims her family was "dead broke" and saddled with legal bills after she and Bill Clinton left the White House -- a comment that drew ridicule Monday from Republicans. 

The former first lady made the remarks to ABC News in an interview that aired Monday. 

"We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt," Clinton told ABC News. "We had no money when we got there, and we struggled to, you know, piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea's education. You know, it was not easy." 

The Clintons, though, did all right for themselves, and quickly -- Bill Clinton almost immediately hit the speaking circuit, making millions along the way. 

Meanwhile, despite the family's debt, they got help back in 1999 from fundraiser Terry McAuliffe (now, the governor of Virginia) to secure a loan for a $1.7 million home in Chappaqua, N.Y. The home helped Hillary Clinton claim residency so she could run for Senate. 

By 2009, when Hillary Clinton was preparing to join President Obama's administration as secretary of State, the Clintons' wealth was somewhere between $10 million and $50 million. 

Republicans seized on the "dead broke" comment and said it demonstrated that Clinton, the Democratic Party's strongest contender for its 2016 presidential nomination, was out of touch. 

"How out of touch is Hillary Clinton when `dead broke' (equals) mansions & massive speaking fees?" tweeted Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus. 

Since leaving the White House, former President Bill Clinton earned a fortune in speaking fees. 

Hillary Clinton's Senate financial disclosure forms, filed for 2000, show assets between $781,000 and almost $1.8 million at the time. The forms allow senators to report assets in broad ranges. 

The same form, however, shows the Clintons owed between $2.3 million and $10.6 million in legal fees to four firms. 

The Clintons paid off their legal bills by 2004, though, according to Senate disclosure forms.