The Harrah’s Entertainment group pushing for a Narragansett Indian casino in West Warwick said yesterday that it has disciplined an “overzealous” staffer for sending an “unauthorized” e-mail on Saturday criticizing Republican candidates opposed to the casino and endorsing Democratic candidates in tomorrow’s election.

The e-mail, attacking casino foes as “rich and privileged elitists,” criticized Governor Carcieri and U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee and urged voters to support their opponents — Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty and Sheldon Whitehouse. (Fogarty and Whitehouse also oppose the casino, though Chafee has criticized Whitehouse for saying that federal legislation requiring voter approval of a Narragansett casino on tribal land was unfair.)

The e-mail was sent from an address associated with keepitinri.com, the Web site of the Harrah’s casino group Rhode Islanders for Jobs and Tax Relief. Hundreds of people are on the list of recipients, including journalists.

About three hours later, another e-mail went out, disavowing the earlier message. The second e-mail apologized, saying that Rhode Islanders for Jobs and Tax Relief is a “nonpartisan” organization with “strict rules” against advocacy for or against individual candidates.

“Regrettably, in this instance, these policies were not adhered to and were not authorized,” the second e-mail said. “We apologize for any confusion.”

Approached yesterday by The Journal about the e-mails, Clare Eckert, a spokeswoman for the Harrah’s drive, said that a “junior” staffer sent the unauthorized e-mail after becoming “upset” by a Chafee rally in Charlestown on Saturday afternoon with leaders of the anti-casino group Save Our State, including former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond.

Eckert declined to identify the staffer or say how he or she was disciplined.

The incident echoes one that occurred last week in the Chafee campaign, when a staff assistant in his Providence office was suspended without pay for two weeks for using her Senate computer to distribute a series of negative e-mails against Whitehouse, a violation of Senate rules.

Saturday’s e-mail, headlined “WHITEHOUSE, FOGARTY AND ‘YES’ ON QUESTION 1,” urges voters to “put an end to the failed policies of George Bush and Don Carcieri” by supporting the two Democrats and the casino initiative to “ensure a better and stronger Rhode Island.”

The e-mail criticized Carcieri’s record on job creation and said that he opposes a casino because “he just doesn’t care about helping working class Rhode Islanders achieve any economic benefits. That’s just for his rich, elitist business friends.”

The e-mail went on to attack the Bush administration and urge voters to support Whitehouse and help return control of Congress to the Democrats.