The readFile step, when used inside a environment closure, whether top-level or in a stage, causes the following error:
an exception which occurred:
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv.locals
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.LoopBlockScopeEnv@29044815
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@25c9f135
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.CallEnv.caller
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.FunctionCallEnv@307ab985
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@5a92c230
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@37a0a42f
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.CallEnv.caller
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ClosureCallEnv@184a6ff5
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@676c6c8d
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@19f01356
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.CallEnv.caller
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ClosureCallEnv@74d1467b
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@4d098490
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.ProxyEnv.parent
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.BlockScopeEnv@28223d82
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.CallEnv.caller
in object com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.impl.FunctionCallEnv@6e27611b
in field com.cloudbees.groovy.cps.Continuable.e
in object org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.SandboxContinuable@78ff9c41
in field org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThread.program
in object org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThread@7841b6fe
in field org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.threads
in object org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup@4d2d90ce
in object org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup@4d2d90ce
Caused: java.io.NotSerializableException: java.util.TreeMap$Entry
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:860)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.BlockMarshaller.doWriteObject(BlockMarshaller.java:65)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.BlockMarshaller.writeObject(BlockMarshaller.java:56)
at org.jboss.marshalling.MarshallerObjectOutputStream.writeObjectOverride(MarshallerObjectOutputStream.java:50)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverObjectOutputStream.writeObjectOverride(RiverObjectOutputStream.java:179)
at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:344)
at java.util.HashMap.internalWriteEntries(HashMap.java:1785)
at java.util.HashMap.writeObject(HashMap.java:1362)
at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor134.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at org.jboss.marshalling.reflect.SerializableClass.callWriteObject(SerializableClass.java:273)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:976)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:967)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.BlockMarshaller.doWriteObject(BlockMarshaller.java:65)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.BlockMarshaller.writeObject(BlockMarshaller.java:56)
at org.jboss.marshalling.MarshallerObjectOutputStream.writeObjectOverride(MarshallerObjectOutputStream.java:50)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverObjectOutputStream.writeObjectOverride(RiverObjectOutputStream.java:179)
at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:344)
at java.util.TreeMap.writeObject(TreeMap.java:2438)
at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor176.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at org.jboss.marshalling.reflect.SerializableClass.callWriteObject(SerializableClass.java:273)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:976)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteFields(RiverMarshaller.java:1032)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteSerializableObject(RiverMarshaller.java:988)
at org.jboss.marshalling.river.RiverMarshaller.doWriteObject(RiverMarshaller.java:854)
at org.jboss.marshalling.AbstractObjectOutput.writeObject(AbstractObjectOutput.java:58)
at org.jboss.marshalling.AbstractMarshaller.writeObject(AbstractMarshaller.java:111)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.support.pickles.serialization.RiverWriter.writeObject(RiverWriter.java:140)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.saveProgram(CpsThreadGroup.java:458)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.saveProgram(CpsThreadGroup.java:434)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.saveProgramIfPossible(CpsThreadGroup.java:422)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.run(CpsThreadGroup.java:362)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup.access$100(CpsThreadGroup.java:82)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup$2.call(CpsThreadGroup.java:242)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsThreadGroup$2.call(CpsThreadGroup.java:230)
at org.jenkinsci.plugins.workflow.cps.CpsVmExecutorService$2.call(CpsVmExecutorService.java:64)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at hudson.remoting.SingleLaneExecutorService$1.run(SingleLaneExecutorService.java:112)
at jenkins.util.ContextResettingExecutorService$1.run(ContextResettingExecutorService.java:28)
at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)

A test repo was created to replicate this.

https://github.com/sflynn-dell/pipeline-test

Branches:
declarative-script - readFile is successful when used inside a script closure.
declarative-env - readFile fails when used inside an environment enclosure.