U.S. government says Broadcom violated order in Qualcomm merger bid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chipmaker Broadcom Ltd violated an order from a national security panel in a bid to push for a merger with rival Qualcomm Inc, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a letter.

The letter, which was dated Sunday, said that Broadcom "took a series of actions in violation" of a previous order from Treasury.

Broadcom has been seeking to merge with Qualcomm, which has sought to fend off the takeover.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)