UPDATE 3-SEC charges Broadcom chairman, gen counsel, ex-execs

(Updates with company announcement of Samueli, Dull leave of absence, Samueli comment)

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK, May 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday it charged two current and two former top officers of chip maker Broadcom Corp (BRCM.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) with backdating stock options.

The SEC said it filed a federal court complaint against co-founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Henry Samueli and General Counsel David Dull, as well as Broadcom ex-Chief Executive Officer Henry Nicholas and former Chief Financial Officer William Ruehle.

The company subsequently announced that Samueli and Dull had each taken leaves of absence as executive officers of Broadcom until the civil complaint is resolved.

Samueli also resigned as chairman of the Broadcom board and as a director, and will not be standing for re-election at the company's annual meeting. The board appointed director John Major to serve as nonexecutive chairman.

Samueli said in a statement that "it would be inappropriate for me to continue on as a director and elected officer of Broadcom" and that he "could not in good conscience allow today's unfortunate turn of events to become a distraction to the company I co-founded."

Samueli and Dull will continue to be employed at Broadcom in their areas of expertise, but will no longer be involved in corporate governance, the company's financial reporting or public disclosures, the company said in a statement.

Nor will they have the power to make agreements on behalf of Broadcom.