It wasn't just Capitol Hill staffers and trade groups that received the Federal Reserve minutes a day early. Many banks and other financial institutions also got an early look at the minutes.

A list of recipients obtained by CNBC reveals that at least 12 banks, a Wall Street law firm, a hedge fund and a private equity fund were on the distribution list that got the minutes early.

The banks included Fifth Third, Citigroup, UBS, Barclays, U.S. Bancorp, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, HSBC, BNP Paribas, BB&T, JPMorgan Chase and PNC.

Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most powerful Wall Street law firms, also got the email.

The email was also sent to King Street Capital Management, a hedge fund with $20 billion under management, and private equity firms The Carlyle Group and The Cypress Group.



Trade groups on the list included The American Bankers Association, the Independent Community Bankers of America and the National Association of Realtors.



The lobbying firms Rich Feuer Anderson and Roberts Raheb Gradler also received the email, as did The Inter Continental Exchange and the European Central Bank.