The Charity Commission is looking into the Tony Blair Faith Foundation after a former employee accused the charity of putting the former prime minister’s interests before its charitable objectives.

In an article for the Daily Mail, Martin Bright, a former website editor for the charity said, that even though Blair is a patron and not supposed to have any executive role at the charity: “It was clear from the outset that his tanned, expensively dressed presence was inescapable. He was the main draw for potential funders and his reputation was to be protected at all costs.”

“We tiptoed around Blair’s business interests in Kazakhstan, Romania and the Gulf," he added. "Stories that the charity’s patron might be advising the new government of Egypt were a nightmare."

Bright had been hired to set up a religion and geopolitics website for the charity but resigned after five months in the role.

He also questioned why a small charity needed five communications professionals, and said that: “Huge amounts of time were spent in meetings to ensure the website didn’t embarrass Blair.”

A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: “We are assessing the issues raised in the article to determine whether they raise any regulatory concern for us. Please note we are not investigating the charity.”

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation was established in 2008 to prevent religious prejudice and projects include a global schools programme and analyisis of the role religion plays in conflicts. Its income for the financial year ending April 2013 was £1.6m and its accounts show that it employed around 30 people with five of them on salaries of more than £60,000.

A spokesman for the foundation told the Guardian: "We are sad that a former colleague has chosen not to focus on the important work that the foundation undertakes."