When the Republicans were in power, the Democrats knew even without hearings, they would have willing accomplices in the media to do their dirty work and mud slinging. The GOP doesn't enjoy such a luxury. The so-called 4th branch of government went on a four year sabbatical sometime early last spring.
Now, it's going to take a Dem chairman to get caught in a FBI sting, or something similar for the GOP to get any traction in the ethics department.